Shizuru's Prelude
by HolyHogMonkey
Summary: An AU story that runs parallel to the original Sunrise short story, 'Natsuki's Prelude', this time told from Shizuru's often overlooked point of view and written with a few fictional liberties on my part.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of this._

_A/N: First, my titles always suck. Don't make fun of me! I might change it later as I get more into the story. I've got a couple chapters typed up but I'm holding off. Still not sure if this should stay a one-shot or not. Let me know if you'd like to see the rest :P_

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><p>A gentle breeze licked through the garden, animating the flora and flitting through Shizuru's golden brown locks. The freshman's placid gaze surveyed the serenity before her. Such a beautiful garden – so many shades of pink – and yet so few of Fuuka Academy's students seemed to enjoy its existence. It was obvious how their minds were preoccupied during this hormonal stage of adolescence. It was such a shame; the director poured so much money into planting and maintaining the precious space, only for it to be ignored, passed by, and occasionally vandalized by the academy's less academically inspired students. The garden deserved more respect – or at least attention.<p>

Shizuru didn't completely mind the lack of interest, however. Moments like this meant she could escape and be alone during what little free time she had. Being top of her class had its perks – her fellow students adored and respected her. Many sought her out not for her friendship but merely because of her status as a high achiever – as well as daughter of a wealthy lineage. Having the family name Fujino was another perk that only served to elevate her high social status. She often found herself drowning in attention and affection from people she hardly knew and while she was not entirely ungrateful for the position her birth awarded her, being born into wealth certainly had its drawbacks.

Silence. At last, she could sit alone and breathe. She could dream. Dream of the things wealth and social status could never buy. Dream of excitement, of taking risks, of rebelling and disobeying and breaking away from expectation. She could dream – on those rare occasions she allowed herself – of love. Thoughts of love were what scared her the most. The people she imagined loving – people she would never be allowed to love – made her feel sick to her stomach. These thoughts would never linger long enough for her to come to any concrete understanding of her stance on that topic. No, love was a kind of risk, a kind of rebellion not even she could allow herself to take.

As Shizuru rounded the garden and came to its entrance, she stopped. She was not the only one who wanted to be alone today. Before her, crouched by the ground, out of sight from behind the wall of roses, was a young girl no older than fourteen. Normally the sight of another person during her alone time would send Shizuru walking briskly in the opposite direction, but something inside her made her decide to stay.

Curiously, she cocked her head to one side. She furrowed her brow. What was this girl doing, just sitting with her back turned to the world? Just then the girl's hand stretched out, her fingers reaching around a rose blossom. She hesitated, then her fingers curled violently around the flower.

"Flowers are meant to be loved."

Shizuru had padded softly to the centre of the rose garden, careful not to alarm the girl. She didn't know quite why she spoke, but the unexpected sight of watching this person want to crush a small, innocent flower made her want to speak up. Made her want to reach out.

The girl shuddered, spun on her heel, and stood. Her eyes were wide with fear – fear of what? Being caught in such an emotionally vulnerable act? For that first split second the girl looked almost guilty.

"After all, they spend so much of their short lives just trying to bloom."

Shizuru recognized the girl. She'd seen her skulking through the halls, the hood of the sweatshirt under her school vest pulled over her head. Shizuru had watched as a teacher scolded the girl for wearing her hood in the halls. She watched as the girl scowled darkly as the teacher walked away. The girl was always alone, always angry. And just now Shizuru had caught her in a moment of weakness.

The girl's brief, fearful expression morphed into one devoid of emotion. "Who – who are you?" she stammered.

"Fujino Shizuru, first year in high school." She gave a gentle smile. "And you?"

The girl's eyes darkened. "Fujino? Like the famous Fujino family?"

"You know of us?"

"Everyone does around here. You're from Kyoto. And you probably bleed money," the girl spat.

Shizuru gave a quick laugh. "It's true, I come from a wealthy family. But I don't know about bleeding money."

"What do you want? Shouldn't you be in class or something?"

"Shouldn't you?"

The girl grimaced. "So what if I should. It's none of your business, is it?"

"Well, if you're lost, I can help you find your class."

"And what makes you think I'm lost?" The girl's voice was becoming defensive.

Shizuru hummed and turned her shoulder, clasping her hands around her back. "Oh, just the simple fact that you're new, you don't know anyone, and you're alone, hiding here in a garden of pink roses."

"How the hell do you know anything about me?" the girl hissed.

"Please, I'm not trying to offend you. I'm merely stating what I see."

"Whatever. I'm not lost, and it's still none of your business."

"On the contrary, I happen to be a member of the Student Council Executive Board, and it is my responsibility to dole out punishment to our school's delinquents. So if you'd like to avoid getting yourself into any serious trouble, why don't you let me help you?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably, seemingly weighing her options. At last she turned her shoulder and started to walk away.

"Very well then, Miss. I'll be seeing you soon."

She watched as the girl's figure disappeared in the distance. Her shoulders sank as her mind filtered through the conversation. Naturally the girl would avoid any kind of social interaction. She was clearly troubled. Whatever had happened before her arrival to this academy had seriously damaged the girl, and no small conversation in a rose garden was going to change her.

_So I'll have to try harder_, Shizuru decided. She herself turned and sat on a bench to study until the end of first period.

Her head was bowed in deep contemplation the whole walk to her second class. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the interaction with the strange new girl had brought a kind of feeling over Shizuru that she wasn't used to. There was something _familiar_ about the girl. It made her stomach churn and feel nauseous the closer she got to realizing what it was.

A familiar, loud voice yanked her from her thoughts – to her relief. When she realized who it was who'd been summoning her, however, she regretted the distraction. Suzushiro Haruka, head of the Student Council Executive Team, was flailing her arms in a victorious, gleeful manner, barely missing her best friend Yukino's head as she did so. Trailing behind the two with slouched shoulders and a white hood pulled over her head was their victim, none other than the young girl Shizuru had spoken with only ten minutes before.

"Fujino-san! Got my first victim of the day! That's three delinquents I've had to lecture this week! When are you going to catch up, slacker? You'll never be voted in again if you keep up your plaque attitude!"

"Er, Haruka, you mean 'slack'," whispered Yukino, just audible enough to reach Shizuru's ears. She gave an inward chuckle while maintaining her classic composed poker face.

Haruka, however, waved Yukino aside and continued raving about her catch – finding the young girl wandering about the woods of the campus, clearly up to no good and probably looking for a spot to do drugs.

"Seriously, Fujino-san, you really need to catch up. You're such a slacker. I almost feel sorry for you, really. But then again, it will be me who gets Student Council President next year, after all!"

"I'll take her from here, Suzushiro-san. Thank you," Shizuru interjected, taking hold of the delinquent's elbow.

"What? Hey! Fu-ji-no-SAN!"

Shizuru had her captive half way down the hall before Haruka gave up her loss. Shizuru led the girl to the detention room and stopped before sliding the door open.

"I'm sorry I have to do this. To be honest, I don't think you deserve it." She paused. The girl wasn't even looking at her. She was gazing at her feet, her eyes narrowed bitterly. "I also don't think you care, either. So maybe this is for the best."

She slid the door open with a – WHACK – and turned her attention to the dark-haired man inside.

"Kaichou-sama." She gave a deep bow.

"Ah, Fujino-san!" came a deep-voiced reply. "Come to have some tea with me?"

"Thank you for the kind offer, Kaichou-sama, but I have a class I need to attend. I've brought a student in for detention." She stepped aside to let the girl in.

Right away the Student Council President gave a familiar sigh. "Kuga-san. Welcome back. Please, have a seat. Have you brought your books from your morning classes?"

Without responding, the girl sauntered inside and set up her books. Shizuru watched, heart sinking, as the girl rested her cheek on her hand and flipped to a page in her text. She was clearly used to this routine.

Shizuru slid open the door of her second-period English class and bowed, apologizing for the interruption. The teacher excused her as she took her seat and called upon her to read from the class text.

"Fujino-san, now that you'd graced us with your appearance, may you please read from page 365 to 367?"

"Certainly, Ito-sama." She flipped to her designated page and began to read the foreign text with a natural proficiency. Her mouth glided over the words while her mind fought a sea of stormy thoughts.

Why was she so concerned about the well-being of this delinquent student? She'd run for her role on the Student Council to please her father – she'd won by three votes over a student she personally thought deserved her role more than she did. She often wondered if her family name had any sway over her results. Nonetheless, neither maintaining a strong, stable student body nor doling out punishments to students who chose to disobey the rules were among her personal interests. Being born into wealth and status required one to be involved in mundane activities one cares nothing about.

"Thank you for reading, Fujino-san, exceptional comprehension and pronunciation, as always," said the teacher. "Kanzaki-san, please continue where Fujino-san left off."

Fujino Shizuru was not concerned about her role in controlling the delinquent students – but for some reason, she was concerned about this new student. The sick feeling she'd experienced when she first met the girl returned. The familiarity she'd felt towards the girl – was it the same sense of familiarity she felt when she spoke with the Headmistress, Director Kazahana Mashiro, and her maid Fumi-sama? How could that possibly be? Why would there be others like herself in the world, let alone at this school? The second she let the thought cross her mind, she knew. Whatever Shizuru was, Kuga-san was the same. Subconsciously, her hand moved to the top of her ribcage – over the strange birthmark she shared with Fumi-sama. What if Kuga-san had one too?

The bell signalled the end of class and commencement of lunch break. Binders zipped, chairs screeched, and chatter filled the room as the students filed out of the class. Shizuru had only a few seconds to escape before the crowd of admirers followed at her heels. Like a whisper on the wind she was at the door gently pardoning herself through. She made it.

"Fujino-san!"

Or not.

She pretended not to hear the walking amplifier, but it was too late. The hound dog found its prey and was on her heels. She stopped and turned, her eye roll morphing magically into a charming Fujino-worthy smile.

"Yes Suzushiro-san?"

"Any word on that delinquent? I'm sure the Kaichou was more than happy to otter you a cup of tea for your wonderful services," the young blond huffed.

"Offer," squeaked Yukino.

Haruka turned to the small brunette. "What?"

"You said 'otter', I think you meant 'offer'."

"EUGH! Whatever! The point is – " she pointed a deliberate finger at Shizuru's nose. "You – once again – have taken MY hard work and used it to YOUR advantage! You better go tell the Kaichou that girl was MY prisoner."

"Suzushiro-san, I do hope you know there is no competition in regards to how many 'prisoners' you take in," Shizuru said with a sigh.

"Are you kidding? Of course there is! Every day SOMEONE is misbehaving and it's our job to teach them a lesson! If I'm doing all the work catching them in the act and you're taking the glory, how am I ever supposed to be promoted?"

"Um, the students vote for your role, Haruka."

"I know that Yukino!"

Shizuru turned and started walking away. Not only was the argument at hand growing dull, but she could see the familiar heads of her so-called friends bobbing down through the crowded hallway in search of their favourite class representative. As she manoeuvred around the students she could hear her rival calling angrily after her. Down a flight of stairs and around a corner and she was safe from that particular group of nuisances. At the end of the hall was the detention room where she'd be able to relieve the Kaichou and, provided the room had collected no more 'prisoners', she could speak to the young Kuga-san privately.

She slid the door open and gave a quick bow.

"Kaichou-sama, you may leave for your lunch break. I will take over from here."

"Fujino-san! You're not on lunch duty today," the president replied, relief obvious in his tone. He stood and as he passed Shizuru, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. You will make an excellent Kaichou next year." With a wink he left, sliding the door closed behind him.

Shizuru turned and scanned the room before her. Just as she'd hoped, only one brooding pair of eyes returned her gaze. She smiled – even she couldn't tell if it was one of her fake smiles she threw on to please the masses, or if she was genuinely relieved.

"Lucky you," she said.

"Lucky about what?" came the dry reply.

"Lucky you get to spend an hour with me instead of the Kaichou – or worse, Suzushiro-san."

"And why are you any better than them?"

Shizuru smiled, walking up to the girl's desk and sliding one leg onto it and setting her hand dangerously close to the girl's elbow.

"Because, my little flower-admirer, I just happen to not care whether you get any work done or not." She smiled when the girl's eyed narrowed, a streak of red flushing her cheeks. "You see, I'd much rather talk – and get to know you, then watch idly as you scribble away."

"Sorry, but I'm not really up for chatting." The girl took up her pencil and turned back to the sheet of trigonometry equations in front of her.

Shizuru walked her fingers flirtatiously onto the sheet and slid it out from under the girl's hand. In response her eyes slowly rose in a dangerous glare – only to meet a full shot of Shizuru's large breasts. Delighted by an even deeper shade of red darting across the girl's face, Shizuru let out a light laugh.

"Enjoying the view? To be honest, I'm not surprised. You do seem a little on the _boyish_ side." Her eyes shone with mischief as she covered her laugh with her hand.

"Are you done?" Kuga snapped, snatching her sheet from her peer. "What are you, a – a – a _dyke_?"

Shizuru doubled back. Somehow the raw insult caught her off-guard – she'd only been teasing. But she'd be damned if she let the young brat catch her weakness. Without any conscious will on her part, a small pout formed itself on her lips.

"Kuga-san, how – how could you say such a thing?" Her voice rung with melodramatic anguish. "All I want is to help you."

_Score_. The younger girl groaned. She didn't apologize – no, this girl was far too cold for apologies. But somewhere inside she'd felt a twinge of regret. Shizuru had seen it flash through the girl's eyes for only a split second, but it was just enough. This girl did have a weak spot, and with some careful planning and teasing, she could make it bigger.

"If you're so bent on helping, why don't you give me the answer to this equation?" The girl slid the sheet back over to Shizuru and struck a finger down on a question about half way down the page.

After a moment of contemplation, Shizuru responded. "That's easy. You know the formula, don't you?"

"A + B = C?"

Shizuru's eyes blanked. "No. Here." Taking the sheet and pencil she started writing out formulas and replacing letters in with numbers, slowly bringing out a solution to the problem. Half an hour passed and the bell tolled, signalling the end of lunch.

"Well, looks like you're all caught up. Think you can find your way to your next class?"

Kuga stood, packing her bag, and stared at her feet.

Shizuru gave a quick smile. "Come on. I'll take you. Let me see your schedule."

Just as Shizuru's hand reached for the door, it slid open with immense, violent force, revealing a raging Haruka on the other side.

"In! Get in! I'm not telling you again, Takeda!"

"I'm innocent! I swear!"

"IN! Or next time it's the CHURCH!"

A young man, a first-year high school student from Shizuru's class, burst through the door past the two girls as though his back-end were on fire. After a glance at the fire in Haruka's eyes, however, Shizuru figured anyone would probably prefer a real blaze chasing him. The militant officer slammed the door behind the young man, causing him to jump. Then he noticed his audience.

"Ah, hello Fujino-san." He bowed deeply. "Funny thing, you see. Tate-kun decked me in the chest, and I fell into the girl's washroom just s Suzushiro-san was exiting. Ha-ha-ha! And here I am!"

"I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding. I will speak with Suzushiro-san today. In the mean-time, I need to get our new student back to her next class."

She held an open hand behind Kuga to guide her out.

"New student?" Takeda muttered, gazing dumbly at the new girl. "Charmed."

With that the door slid shut a final time.

"Don't worry about him," Shizuru smiled as the two walked through the halls. "He has a terrible reputation, but he's just very unfortunate. He seems to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all."

"I see."

Shizuru smirked and glanced sideways at the girl. "He seemed to take a keen interest in you when we left."

The girl scowled at Shizuru. "Good for him."

The two girls manoeuvred through crowded hallways until they came at last to the new girl's next class. "This is it," Shizuru stated. "I hope you will remember how to find it."

Kuga nodded, placed a hand on the door, and looked over her shoulder at Shizuru.

"Thanks."

Something happened in Shizuru's chest. Her heart fluttered. Did the cold girl just thank her? Shizuru smiled.

"Any time you need help, come find me. I'll do whatever is in my power."

The girl nodded.

"Goodbye, Kuga-san." Shizuru turned to leave.

"Natsuki."

She paused, slowly turning her head back around.

"Call me Natsuki."

Shizuru smiled, a true smile from her heart. "Na-tsu-ki." And the two parted ways.

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><p>R&amp;R! Honesty is much appreciated, even bitter honesty. You can improve only if you know what you're doing wrong :P<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise._

_I have up to chapter four typed and ready for print and chapter five in the works. The beginning was a little stale if you ask me, and the story is becoming a little less hard to chew on as I get my hand back in the game of writing creative fiction. To the three people who reviewed, thanks. Seriously. It was just enough a confidence boost to launch this chapter. I guess it doesn't matter if anyone likes my stuff; I'm writing it for my own pleasure, after all. To a'me who reviewed anonymously, I've written out a more in-depth response to you at the end. Figured your critical eye deserved consideration._

_Aaand yes, I changed the title again. Told you I would! It just srt of hit me as a very obvious and blatant option - this is basically my own version of Sunrise's _Natsuki's Prelude_, with a few AU additions. As the story progresses it'll show more accurately that I've taken my own liberties in retelling the tale. I don't remember much about _Natsuki's Prelude_ but I'm pretty sure my parallels are moving even farther from the original. _

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><p><em>Peace. Serenity. Calm. Sunlight filtering through my curtains. Birds chirping.<em>

"Fu-ji-no-san!"

_Peace. Serenity. Calm – _

"Fujino-san, if you don't wake up this instant I'm going to break down this door and brag you out myself!"

A muffled response interrupted the commotion as Yukino corrected Haruka's grammar. Shizuru gazed across the room at the clock on her wall. _Haruka, my dear friend, it's Saturday morning. Half-past ten is not a reasonable hour for your screeching voice._

Shizuru groaned as she rose, a hand over her forehead, mentally blocking her comrade's incessant calls. Despite what her fellow classmates, teachers, and parents would assume of her, Fujino Shizuru was not a morning person; Suzushiro Haruka and her lost puppy of a friend Kikukawa Yukino were two of only three people who knew the truth. Shizuru was just as much a typical teenager as the rest of the student body.

And next year, she'd certainly be finding a room in a new dorm.

She showered and slid into a pair of grey dress pants and a purple cardigan, poured herself a cup of green tea and sat at her dinette with a bowl of fruit. She closed her eyes. _Three ... Two ... One ..._

"Fujino-san! Are you awake yet?"

Suzushiro-san, please calm yourself." Shizuru rose to open the door, only to be greeted by the irate face of Haruka. Next to the blond, wearing her traditional mousy expression, stood Yukino.

"Have you been pounding on my door all morning? I've had my headphones on studying for a physics exam," Shizuru lied. She let out a condescending sigh. "You really shouldn't be making such a commotion so early on a Saturday morning. There are other students in the building."

Haruka's eyebrows twitched as they knit together. "So what!" she hissed. "You knew we had a Council meeting at nine this morning!"

Shizuru's stomach dropped. _Whoops._ A flawless smile graced her face, reassuring her accomplices she was in control of the situation. "I'll speak with the Kaichou. You don't need to worry about my absence."

"'Don't need to worry'? We're the Executive Team for crying out loud! We represent justice and respect for the school's rules and laws! We can't screw off and sleep in when we have duties to perform! How dare you –"

Shizuru pressed her index and thumb to her brow. Her patience was waning. "Suzushiro-san," she interrupted. "If you really must make it your business, I had a personal emergency to take care of this morning. I will speak to the Kaichou myself about the meeting this afternoon. You don't need to involve yourself."

With that she slid the door closed and locked it. She could hear Haruka muttering and ranting to Yukino about Shizuru's display of disrespect, but at this hour she didn't care. Patience, when Haruka was involved, required more will power than she could muster in the morning.

_Personal emergency._ She let out a laugh in spite of herself. More like a personal dream session she couldn't bring herself to end. She'd awoken at eight after a very vivid dream, and remained under covers continuing the fantasy for a couple of hours, vaguely aware of the time. She blushed recalling her self-indulgence. Those 'passions of youth' as the Sister referred to them had a dangerous effect on Shizuru when she gave her imagination free reign.

The morning grew old as the afternoon sun broke through billowing autumn clouds. Birds persisted to sing in the trees despite puffs of condensed breath that escaped Shizuru's mouth. Winter would be coming soon – the girl from Kyoto despised the frigid winds of this northern town. Located a fair distance from the small, rural city of Fuuka, the academy's grounds saw snow in the winter months. Tragically beautiful to gaze upon, but dreadful up close. Snow sort of reminded Shizuru of a certain new junior student she hadn't seen in a couple of weeks.

"Shizuru."

She turned her attention to her sudden company. She'd made her way to the Student Council room to find it vacant. Sipping from a cup of tea, she'd been gazing out the window as students, squirrels and birds animated the colourful autumn scene below.

"Kanzaki-san," she replied warmly.

"Do you mind if I join you for tea?" The young man poured some of the steaming oolong into one of the small, English cups and leaned against the sill next to Shizuru.

"Slept through the meeting, I presume."

A knowing smile crept on her face. Around this young man, she felt she could give a bit of her true self away. They were similar – both came from wealthy families and both knew their places as such. The two had been acquainted with each other since late grade school – the Fujino family business partnered with the Kanzaki corporation for a short while, resulting in Shizuru's family's move from Kyoto to the Fuuka region. Her parents had since returned to Kyoto, but having received a scholarship of academic excellence to enrol in Fuuka Academy, Shizuru stayed behind and lived alone in the school's dormitory. She and Kanzaki Reito remained distant acquaintances, but both seemed to have an unspoken kinship with each other.

"I can't hide the truth from you, can I Kanzaki-san?"

"Dreaming about pink cherry blossoms again?"

A soft blush lit up her face. She tried so hard to deny it, even to herself, but Kanzaki Reito was no fool. As quick as her face lit up she quashed it with her classic, passive smile. Placing her cup before her on the sill and leaning into it, she playfully glanced at Reito.

"There is a rumour going around about you and I. Have you heard?"

Reito returned her smile. "I've heard some whispers. Do you suppose we should entertain it?"

Shizuru's face lit up with a mischievous smirk. "It couldn't be the worst rumour to have spread."

"I'd agree. It would certainly keep any ill thoughts from crossing the student's minds about you. Wouldn't want anyone thinking you a deviant."

Red returned to her face as her cheeks burned up. Had he heard some awful fabrication dancing about the halls? He hadn't been quite specific but she knew what he meant by 'deviant'. Everyone knew what one meant by that word, at least in her circle. A person with crooked romantic desires; a skewed sense of sexuality. On occasion Reito brought up such subtle references, as though he were fishing for some kind of admonition from Shizuru – whether it was _cherry blossoms,_or _pussy willows –_ and every time she caught such subliminal hints her face lit up like a street light. Perhaps there was _some_ truth in his calling her a deviant; she'd never taken much interest in men, even in her nighttime fantasies. But she simply took that to mean she had no desire for anything of a sexual nature.

Reito chuckled at her blatant display of humiliation. He placed a hand on her shoulder with affection. The two may not have been romantically involved, but between them was fastened a fairly tight bond which only grew tighter each year.

"Shizuru, I'm teasing you, I hope you know that."

She nodded slowly, still peering wide-eyed out the window. "You find too much joy in humiliating your poor friend, Kanzaki-san." He was certainly the only person who held such power over her. It was from him she'd learned the art of the tease, and she was sure she was the only recipient of his jests.

A rough index finger touched her chin as he gently guided her to look at him. He smiled with mockery; her eyes still shone with embarrassment. Seeing the playful look in her friend's face she let out her breath in a soft laugh. Only Kanzaki Reito could bring out the fool in her. She, like everyone had weaknesses, but it was second-nature for her to quash them and put up the front of being emotionally stable and poised. Fujino Shizuru represented stability and control while her militant rival, Suzushiro Haruka represented full-blown war. She'd guessed long ago that this was why the students, and indeed everyone she'd ever met, trusted Shizuru.

She was eternally grateful to have a person like Kanzaki Reito in her life – someone before whom she could tear off her mask and let herself go.

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><p>Monday came pounding on her door like a furious beast in a rage. It came screeching her name like a bat tangled in a net. It came with the infuriating name of Suzushiro Haruka. Pulling a pillow over her head, she clenched her eyes tight. <em>Those damned dreams!<em> She hated waking up with fire in her loins. Was it like this for every teenager? Perhaps she should speak with the Sister at the church. The thought brought a bitter rouge to her face; as if she could ever speak about her lust.

"Fujino-sempai, please wake up," came the soft voice of Yukino. Clearly the hound had grown hoarse from her barking.

That soft voice was just enough to summon Shizuru to her feet. Really, if Haruka wasn't such a venomous wench Shizuru might actually come to like her. This morning came at six o'clock. Time enough to throw on her jogging pants and sports bra – damn it was getting tight – and run with the other council members. Morning jogs were not a requirement and so any absence did not deem any lecture. Haruka was just militant about ensuring everyone started their day on the right foot, with blood pumping strong and brain thinking right, or something to that effect.

Shizuru's first class, a spare period for study, came and went. She'd taken extra courses in the summer to get ahead and leave a block for her own time. This morning she sat in her usual place, surrounded by a sea of pink flowers and engulfed in the light of the autumn morning. Since that morning during the first week of the new school year, she no longer came to the garden to study in peace – she came in hope of meeting the delinquent junior again. It was a thought she barely made conscious but it was a truth that sat deep in the back of her mind; every morning she found the place empty and her heart sank a little.

Second period sailed by like a log in molasses. The students were to recite a speech in English on a topic of their choosing, which they'd been working on over the previous weeks. Most of the students were teased and chastised for their muddled grasp of the English language, but Shizuru, as though by custom, received only applause – as did Kanzaki Reito. As she left the class at the toll of the bell, she overheard a group of girls chatting in front of her.

"Did you know Fujino-san and Kanzaki-san are going out? They kissed in the Student Council room on Saturday!"

"Really? You saw it?"

"Well, no. But Kanzaki-san looked like he was about to. He held her chin and was leaning in." The girls swooned. "I wonder if it was her _first kiss!"_

"Do you think they've, you know, _done it_?"

Shizuru's face went tomato red. She hid her flush by bending over to fix her sock.

"Of course not! Fujino's probably as prude as a nun –"

Irritation pulsed through her veins like a war drum. She stood and stormed up to the girls, who had clearly been unaware of her presence.

"Excuse me!" she snapped. The girls stood straight, their faces paled. "Is my love life any of your business?"

"No ma'am!" they chimed in unison.

"Then will you please refrain from discussing it!" It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes ma'am!"

With that Shizuru stomped off through the crowd, whose attention she'd drawn in full. Even her English teacher, who was locking up the classroom door, stopped and gaped at her raw outburst. Fujino Shizuru had just lost her cool. Not good. She'd certainly have to make up for that public disgrace. Deliver a spectacular speech at the upcoming assembly; congratulate the students on a wonderful start to a new academic year. Something like that. The last thing she wanted was for the school to think she was becoming another Suzushiro.

She swung the door of a stairwell open and thudded with a gasp into another person. Tate Yuuichi, not long ago a highly regarded kendo student, now a violent school bully. His eyes – once bright and proud – had become dark and brooding. No one quite knew what caused such a 180 in personality – no one except the elementary school girl who constantly clung to his elbow like a lost puppy.

The two stared each other down – Shizuru with apprehension as she gazed into those terrifying eyes. Then Yuuichi sidestepped and passed his academic superior. He showed no visible sign of respect for her higher status, short of not publicly demeaning her or pushing her aside. Somehow his lack of respect humbled her – to be perceived as another common peer was something she rarely experienced. She admired his lack of humility.

Not a second after that brief interaction a small, pink-haired girl sailed past, her long pigtails whipping Shizuru in the face. She shook off the incident and as the door closed behind her she could hear Tate lecturing the girl about following him to his school.

Today was her turn to watch the detention room over lunch. It made no difference to her – as long as she had some time away from the crowds and the attention. As long as she had some silence and space to breathe. Part of her hoped she'd see Kuga in the room, though if she did she'd know the girl would have progressed no further than the day they'd met.

She slid the door of the room open to see another new pair of eyes instead. Shizuru quietly relieved the student who'd been tending the room before her and sat at the head desk. At the back of the room sat a couple of boys who made regular appearances in the room – usually for being caught smoking on school property, skipping class, or causing some unnecessary disruption during a lesson. The third student – a girl she hadn't met yet, sat grinning at her. She gave Shizuru a quick wave. She liked this girl's style already.

Her hair was short and silvery grey, cut into a shag. She wore tasteful designer glasses. Under her left forearm she'd hid a cell phone. Shizuru smiled internally.

"Harada Chie, junior first-year," the girl chirped. She didn't seem too concerned about her school record being smudged by an afternoon in the detention room.

"Fujino Shizuru, first year high school." Shizuru nodded to the cell phone under Chie's arm. "Were you caught texting in class?"

"Taking pictures in the girl's locker room." She gave an indulgent grin.

A look of shock played over Shizuru's face before she regained composure and covered it with a mischievous smirk. "And why would one be taking pictures of naked women in the locker room, I wonder?"

"One of my classmates got a tattoo on her lower back. Bull's Eye, ya know? I felt it was vital information for the student body. Her friends didn't seem to agree though, so they ratted me out. And here I am, gracing your presence." She rose her hands over her head and clasped them behind her neck with a smug grin.

Shizuru felt a rise and stifled the urge to laugh out loud. She certainly admired the girl's confidence.

"Very well." She stood and taking a piece of chalk, began writing on the board:

"_Taking photos of nude women is a very naughty thing to do. I'm a very bad girl."_

She replaced the chalk and turned smugly to Chie. "Write this out until the bell rings." And she sat.

The boys sitting at the back of the class sniggered and Chie herself lit up with laughter. "You know, Fujino, if you run for pres next term, I just might vote for you!"

"Ha-ha, me too!" called one of the boys.

Shizuru smiled in spite of herself. "Quiet, no talking in detention."

With that she flipped open a book and poured herself a cup of tea. The remainder of the hour ticked by, the boys tossing elastics and balls of paper at each other and Chie firing off texts with the odd chuckle. The girl stood, eyes glued on her phone with a ridiculous grin on her face and walked up behind Shizuru's back, showing her the phone. On the screen was a picture of Suzushiro sprawled on the floor, clearly having tripped down the stairs in some hot pursuit of a student. Shizuru let out a soft laugh. She definitely liked this junior.

* * *

><p>The air was frigid. Shizuru shivered – wearing only her summer uniform was probably not one of her best ideas, but everyone else seemed quite comfortable in this weather without jackets. Air billowing before her with every breath, she practically jogged to her dorm. Turning onto the private road leading to her apartment, she spotted a figure walking in a familiar, slouching gait. Heart flip-flopping, she broke into a gallop and strode up beside Natsuki.<p>

"Kuga-san, it's been a while since I've seen you. It's as though you've been attending your classes."

The younger girl eyed Shizuru, her head remaining glued towards the ground. Shizuru couldn't tell if she was unwelcome or if Natsuki just always looked this angry. Natsuki turned her gaze back to the road ahead of her.

"I have been."

The cold response seemed to be all she was willing to give. Shizuru took the girl's tone as a sign saying _"fuck off"_ and was about to politely excuse herself when Natsuki continued to speak.

"I've been looking for you."

"You have?" Shizuru's stomach churned. Then she let out a chuckle. "I never thought I'd be so hard to find. One just has to look for the crowds of my adoring 'friends'."

Natsuki gave her a sideways glance – and not an overly bitter one. Had she caught the sarcasm in Shizuru's voice?

"I tend to avoid crowds. And from what I've learned about you, so do you. You're fairly elusive when you want to be." She turned back to the road before continuing. "But to be frank, I don't understand why you put yourself in this position if you hate it so much."

Shizuru's shoulders sank. She turned away. In all honesty, she didn't quite know herself. She didn't understand why she felt the need to discuss her troubles with this delinquent, but somehow she felt some kind of familiar kinship she'd only felt with Kanzaki. She felt as though this girl would not only listen, but understand.

"I have obligations. I know how fortunate I am to be born into such wealth. Therefore, it would be selfish of me to simply walk away from it."

Silence ensued. She glanced at Natsuki and met her eyes. They weren't friendly, but they weren't angry either. The intensity of those green eyes hit Shizuru in the gut like a speeding bullet. _So deep._ She felt another flutter in her chest. What was this feeling she kept getting around this girl?

"I get that." Natsuki turned her gaze away from Shizuru. A silent breath escaped her lips – when had she been holding it?

"So you said you were looking for me?"

Natsuki nodded. She hesitated, searching around them – satisfied that they were indeed alone she turned to Shizuru once again. Those eyes bore into Shizuru's. Her stomach churned and she stopped breathing.

"The school has an intranet, right?"

"Huh?"

"Intranet. Like a private online database."

"Oh, um, yes, I believe so." Somehow this was not the conversation she's expected. She mentally kicked herself for thinking otherwise.

"How much information does it provide on the academy, the faculty, and the students?"

"Um, I'm not sure. Only the Kaichou has the authority to access that sort of information. We can only look something up with his permission." She chewed on the girl's request a moment, knitting her eyebrows together. "Why, are you looking for someone?"

"It doesn't matter why. You said you'd help me, so I thought I'd ask. But you can't so never mind." Her words cut through Shizuru like a sharpened blade. Natsuki spun on her heel and started the way they'd come. "We didn't have this conversation."

Shizuru watched as once again Natsuki left her. This feeling was foreign to the Bourgeois girl. She was so accustomed to people doting over her, demanding her attention and admiration that this open display of rejection burned deep. She didn't know what was happening to her – she was losing her cool. Her eyes burned; was she about to cry? A lump formed in her throat and she turned and fled to her apartment, swallowing the miserable feeling somewhere deep inside.

* * *

><p>That evening, over a pot of tea and a dinner of instant ramen, Fujino Shizuru decided what she was going to do when the winter term commenced and Student Council campaigns began. She had to defeat Suzushiro Haruka in the election for Student Council President. She had to gain the trust of Kuga Natsuki. She had to make that cold girl smile. Shizuru would no longer allow herself to feel this alone – if going against her interests and taking on a responsibility she cared nothing for was what it took to gain the admiration of that cold girl, Shizuru would do it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>AN: Plot's still trudging along. Review if you enjoyed it, even if you can't stand my writing and managed to pull through the first two chapters. Critiques and constructive criticism are much appreciated; as I said before, I'm writing not only from a sick obsession but with the goal of improving my writing ability._

_To a'me: I've taken your comment to heart and fixed a couple of minor irritations in the first chapter. I will state that this is an AU fic told from a limited point of view and so any inconsistencies that occur thereof are more than likely a conscious choice. Don't, however, feel I'm arguing against your comment. I like it. I read _Natsuki's Prelude _sometime in the spring or summer but I've clearly forgotten a few things and you helped me with that . In terms of language use, I know the characters Sunrise developed would never use any kind of overly harsh words and 'dyke' certainly would never be a part of Natsuki's vocabulary, but I am writing a slightly different Natsuki than the 17-year-old we meet in the pilot episode of Mai HiME. Friendship at this point is unheard of to a girl whose dark memories are even fresher on her mind. She doesn't necessarily have to suspect anything about Shizuru's sexuality, it was just a quick insult spat out in an attempt to end the uncomfortable exchange. It was a convenient excuse to reveal to the reader a very soft spot in Shizuru's psyche as the girl herself hasn't come to understand her sexuality at this point in the story._

_Thanks for the review! Keep it up, I need an eye for detail._

_xziex_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise._

_I've realized I made a pretty big mistake about Shizuru - I knew she had some kind of role in the school before becoming president but I couldn't remember what it was. Silly me, shoulda done some basic WikiResearch. She was originally the Class Rep before she became president but I couldn't remember so I stuck her in the executive committee with Haruka. It's sort of fun playing with the two anyway. Oh well, again, this is kind of AU so it doesn't matter, just thought I'd let you guys know I'm aware of the inconsistency. _

_I think this chapter is a bit longer. I also have Chapter 5 still in the works, been a bit distracted lately and chapter 5 is kind of annoying to write. Hopefully you'll enjoy it when it's done. Expect it by the end of February._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Excitement shook through the classroom like a shock of static electricity. The teacher stood at the front of the room struggling to regain control over her students, to no avail. With an exasperated sigh she finally gave in and flopped into the seat of her desk while a group of girls squealed over the first swirling snowflakes of winter. The teacher rested her head between her fingers, rubbing her temples. She looked up at Shizuru, who appeared to be the only student unimpressed by the frozen precipitation.<p>

"It's no use," the teacher muttered to Shizuru, who returned a sympathetic smile. They were both accustomed to this winter tradition – every year that first snow robbed the students blind of their academic focus and turned them into giddy eight-year-olds.

Shizuru dreaded the ten-minute walk home. She hadn't expected the snow to come; the morning sun had warmed the landscape like a spring day. In a matter of hours, the weather changed its mood and threw a wad of white fluff on the academy. As such, Shizuru had only a light jacket for her walk home.

She gazed at the students in wonder. She couldn't understand their obsession with that cold snow.

Class ended, bringing in its place a week away from lessons. Students flocked to the powdery white hills, throwing balls of snow and building figures and forts. White clods zipped by Shizuru's head as she made her way with a group of girls through a war zone of snowballs. Even she had to admit the fun was addictive – the laughter and free-spirit about her brought a contagious smile to her face as a wad hit one of the girls she called a friend in the face. She giggled, a hand over her mouth, as the girl squealed and scolded the culprit. Shizuru gave the perfect impression of being enthralled by her friends' conversation. The girls never discussed anything more deep than a horrid 80 per cent grade, an extra pound gained, or a sale on a top brand name, but she did have an interest in fashion and beauty, after all.

"I almost bought it, too! I knew I'd lose the chance – it was half-off! Can you believe it! A Dior clutch, only 8500 yen!*"

"At least you managed to get that cute pair of boots," one of the girls replied.

Shizuru chimed a comment or two during their conversation, but she couldn't help herself from zoning out. At least until the conversation swung her way.

"So, Shizuru-chan." A girl had slid up to her, linking an arm through hers. "Speaking of dates, a little bird told me you and Kanzaki-san are getting pretty friendly."

Shizuru gave a charming and innocent smile. She hesitated only a brief second, searching for a response blurred between a lie and a half-truth. She could say anything she wanted and Reito would gladly go along with whatever rumours she decided to spread. But should she entertain them, give them some partial juicy story and let them imagine the rest? She certainly couldn't outright deny the rumour – that would be no fun.

She started to speak when a couple of girls let out small squeals and covered their mouths. Speak of the Devil and he just may show up. Reito settled an arm around Shizuru's wasite and the girl who had linked her arm with Shizuru backed away, eyes lit up like a kitten's. The girls fell into a fit of giggles as though their suspicions had just been confirmed.

Reito held out his jacket and scarf for Shizuru, eyes shining as though 'no' was an unthinkable possibility. Shizuru beamed. She took the scarf, wrapping it around her neck and lightly looping it through while Reito held his heavy, black jacket open for her.

"Ladies, if you don't mind, I believe our friend had some per-arranged plans with yours truly." Reito looked down at Shizuru and winked. "I'd like to discuss the future of the Student Council in private."

The girls giggled like mad hyenas as Shizuru gave a sweet wave goodbye, linked her arm the the crook of Reito's elbow and glided off to her apartment.

"Thanks."

"My pleasure."

"Tea?"

"Must you ask?"

Once inside the safety of her own dorm, Shizuru boiled a pot of tea and poured two cups. Reito shed off his own undercoat, hanging it on the coat rack by the door and settled himself at her small dinette. Shizuru's home was decorated in an elegant British fashion blended with traditional Japanese accents – high dinette set with chairs, western utensils along with chopsticks and ceramic spoons, and a raised bed behind an exquisite, hand-sewn silk shoji screen. Prints of famous Japanese paintings – Hokusai, Hiroshige, Toyohiro; as well as paintings by Western artists – Monet, Van Gogh, O'Keeffe added colour to her walls.

"Your home is quite gorgeous," Reito chimed, gazing around the bachelor unit.

"It's small," came the humble response as Shizuru placed a cup before her guest and sat herself down across from him. She clasped her hands before her with elegance, the thin silver bracelets on her wrists rattling musically against the table. "But it's all I need."

"I don't think it's the size of a home that matters but the use one gets out of it. My family has always been interested in large possessions – limousines, mansions, large office spaces, but this really is all one individual could need."

Shizuru smiled. "This is your first time as a guest of mine, isn't it?"

He looked at her, eyes smiling. Neither of them knew quite why but they had never spent any time together outside the walls of the academy. They'd been acquaintances for some time, that was sure, but they both knew there was more depth to their friendship.

"I'm running for president."

Reito glanced up from his tea. "Are you?"

Shizuru nodded.

"I'm running for Vice."

She smiled. "We'll make a great team."

"Any particular reason for this change of interest?" His eyes shone with sincere intrigue.

Of any person she'd ever come to know well, Kanzaki was one of the few who listened. While most of her peers absently nodded in response to her words, soaking up her presence only to agree with anything that came out of her mouth, Reito more than just heard her. She closed her eyes and gave an innocent smile.

"It is my duty as a role model to my peers and as a Fujino to uphold the academy's interests – as well as those of my family."

"How many times did you have to recite that line?" His eyes sparkled.

Her lip protruded in a small pout. "Is Kanzaki-san suggesting that I am a liar? _Ikezu_."

"Shizuru, how long have you and I been posing as a couple? You know you can't fool me with that lip."

She gave up the act and let out a sincere laugh into her cup as she took a sip. Sometimes she regretted not having feelings for the man; she and Reito would have made an incredible couple and they both knew it. Whether or not he reserved some form of feelings for her, she knew he'd never put their positions – nor their budding friendship – at risk.

"So what is your reason for running, Shizuru?" His face grew serious. He could jest, but he knew how to steer a conversation just where it needed to be. Kanzaki Reito was a man of business. "If you tell me your reason, I'll tell you mine."

Shizuru weighed her options, thumb circling her teacup contemplatively. She could keep her intentions secret. In fact, that was just what she should do. In every moment of her life, Shizuru did just what she should. In this moment, she decided to set custom aside and give her friend the truth.

"There is a girl."

"Shizuru!"

"Not like that!" Her eyes shot up to meet his shocked expression. Her cheeks flushed. By no means had she meant to imply _that_. But the man eyed her with suspicion, waiting for her next words. "I just want to help her," she finished.

Reito's eyes bored into hers. Whatever he was thinking, he wasn't doing it lightly. The intensity of his stare brought the shade of red on Shizuru's cheeks even deeper. He didn't believe her. Could he really think she was _like that_?

"Shizuru, heed my warning, be careful. You know exactly where you stand. I know this is not what you want to hear, but it is not your place to make such decisions for that reason."

Blood rushed to her face. _Damn!_ Why was this conversation making her so vulnerable? She should not have opened up to him. Of course the easy lie would have been perfectly appropriate – even he would understand that. Her eyes dropped. Were those tears threatening to roll down her cheeks? A heavy sigh from Reito broke the silence. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. It wasn't true, what he was implying, so why was she having such a hard time denying it? She knew he only meant to help her. She knew he cared. He wanted her to be happy, just as he himself wanted to be happy. And she knew these feelings of hers were nothing but selfish.

"Shizuru." At least she met his gaze, eyes full of shame. "You know I'll always want the best for you. And you know you can trust me not to put you in a dangerous situation. But I need to know something."

Her heart pounded furiously; her cheeks flushed. No, she was not ready for this conversation. She should never had said anything. She should never have let her selfish desire take control. She should never have –

"You're gay, aren't you?"

Tears flooded her wild eyes. "No!"

In an instant Reito was kneeling at her side, an arm around her shoulder. She couldn't bear to look at him. Her cheeks were soaked in salty tears as her eyes pierced the air at nothing at all. _How could he see it? How could he know before I did? How the fuck can this be me!_

"Shizuru, come here." He brought the sobbing girl into his harms, cradling her against his chest and resting his chin on her head. "I can't imagine how hard it's going to be for you Shizuru. I promise I'll be by your side, but there's only so much I can do." The girl continued to sob. She could barely focus on his words. "You know your position. Neither of us can let our hearts take control, straight or not. You know that. But I need to know you're taking this responsibility for you – for your own good – and not for love."

Shizuru didn't respond. How did this happen? Her mask, it had cracked – crumbled – before her very eyes. All of these years she'd been hiding her needs, her wants, her thoughts from the world, but even more so from herself. And at last that mask was breaking. How could she have not seen it? How could this have slipped from under her own knowledge? This sick, shameful truth. She was a disgrace.

"No," she sobbed. "No, no. No!" She buried her face in the crook of her friend's neck.

"Shizuru." Reito pushed gently on her shoulders, revealing a tear-stricken, hysterical face. "Shizuru, listen." His voice was gentle, barely above a whisper, as his thumb affectionately pushed wet hair off of her cheeks. "It's obvious this is who you are. I can't imagine it's easy, but you need to accept this. I'm never going to hold it against you and I'm never going to tell anyone. It's okay, Shizuru. It is."

She was hardly listening. Her eyes shot open and pierced into his. "How can this be me?"

Reito gave a heavy sigh. He was at a loss. The man could say no more to comfort his broken friend. Pulling her back into his arms, he guided her onto the floor with him and cradled her once more. Moments passed as she hyperventilated, fighting with her shame, with the truth, with her own mind. All the man could do was run his fingers through her hair and gently rock back in forth, tightening his hold around her. Shizuru's entire self-image had shattered. The security she had in her own self was breaking away. She couldn't trust her own mind. This was not her; this was not a Fujino. Her family would hate her – she hated her. It was true. It was true. _It was true._ All of those dreams, all of those fleeting flights of fantasy in which her romantic heart took control – every time she pictured herself not with a man and she never understood for she always blocked out the other people in her imagination. Women. They were all women. It was sick, it was so _God damn_ sick and it was _true._

Her hysterical sobs slowly fell to a steady sniffling. Absentmindedly, her fingers played with the cuff of Reito's school blazer. She gradually gained some stability and composure when Reito gently broke the silence.

"Do you love her?"

Shizuru looked up. "Who?"

He smiled. "This mystery girl for whom you're running for president, of course. She must be quite wonderful if she's worth such torment."

Shizuru smiled in spite of herself. Her fit must have shaken her memory of the very catalyst of the mental breakdown.

"I hardly know her." Laughter fell from her voice. She couldn't stop. Somehow the idea suddenly seemed so ridiculous.

Reito waited for the girl to recover before speaking again. "How do you feel when she's around you?"

"That's the even stranger part. Honestly, I haven't even seen her for a couple of months." Her fingers continued to fidget with the cuff of Reito's ruined blazer. "She asked me to do a favour for her, but I couldn't. I'd have to use some software only the Kaichou can access." She paused once more as she recalled the conversation she'd last had with Kuga Natsuki. Her tone changed and Reito noticed. "I wasn't able to assist her, and she walked away. I haven't seen her since."

"She doesn't sound like a very loving person to me."

"Was that mockery in your voice?" She gave him a sneer. It was a sign her spirits were lifting.

Reito chuckled. "Perhaps, but my point remains. I hold to my previous advice, Shizuru: be careful."

Shizuru shifted her head back against his chest, facing the floor. Her eyes closed gently; they were still puffy and sore from losing so much moisture. Her tone grew serious again. "There is more to her though. I know there is. She's so cold. So alone – "

"Just like you."

"What?" Her eyes turned back to meet his and he gave her an empathetic smile.

"You and I, what we have in common is status. We both know our roles and we both live according to very specific expectations. We're both surrounded by people – many very important people – but we're both alone. And neither of us could ever let just anyone inside to see the truth in who we are."

Shizuru smiled, letting her head sink back down. Reito had spoken very true words. What Shizuru saw in Natsuki was a kind of kinship – the same kind she felt towards the man who'd brought out the worst storm in her and used it to reveal the truth in herself. She did not love Reito as one loves a romantic partner, so did this mean she loved Natsuki? Unlikely.

"I think maybe love is too strong a word." She hesitated, searching for the right way to finish her thought. "I definitely feel some sort of connection with her. I want to get to know her. I want to make her smile."

Reito fell silent as he digested her words. He seemed to come to some sort of conclusion; she couldn't be sure if he agreed with what she'd said or not, but by the way he shifted to signal to her that it was time to move, she could tell the conversation was nearing its end. Reito checked his watch as Shizuru gracefully rose and reseated herself at the dinette.

"I must take my leave, Shizuru. I'm sorry." She avoided eye contact as he gathered his wears and made his way to the door. "Will you be all right for the evening?"

She nodded. "Thank you, Reito."

He turned to face her, and she met his eyes. She could feel that wretched, shameful blush creep its way back onto her cheeks. This new shared knowledge between them would add a challenge in their every day interaction, but she knew they'd both play along as though the conversation had never occurred. Her sexuality was now just mutual, unspoken knowledge, no different than anything else they knew about each other.

"Just remember who you are and where your place is. The impression people have of you can change very quickly with even the slightest bruise on your record. People like you and I – we have so many privileges – except to live according to our own desires. Don't let your heart lead you into danger."

With that he bid his friend farewell and left her alone with her swirling thoughts. _What the hell just happened?_ she wondered.

Wrapped up in her bed, she lay awake late into the early morning, her mind racing in all directions. This was Fujino Shizuru, heir to the Fujino enterprise. Poised, confident, radiant Fujino Shizuru, who could marry any man of any standing in the country to continue the Fujino legacy. This was Fujino Shizuru. People looked up to her – even teachers and community leaders. Her father's business partners showed interest in her potential as a future businesswoman. No one, not a one, expected even the slightest flaw from a Fujino. _Poise. Grace. Etiquette. Taste._ Had there ever been a blemish in her family's history?

With a lesbian as the only heir, there certainly was now.

_How could this be me?_

The Student Council room buzzed with action and debate. The current student council had agreed to sit with potential nominees to discuss issues that needed to be dealt with – problems with current and past councils, and concerns the future campaign would need to address. Several conversations collided at once, each carrying a different volume. At the back of the room sat Shizuru, calmly sipping from a cup of tea next to a fellow Executive member, while her opposition flew off the handle – none other than Suzushiro Haruka. Next to Haruka sat Kikukawa Yukino, who being a junior could only run to represent her grade in the council. Yukino's opposition was Senou Aoi, an equally sweet (although considerably more outgoing) junior in another class of the same grade. While the two juniors had met each other with friendly competition, Haruka was ready to wage a full-blown war on Shizuru.

"And not to mention you clearly have obsoletely no guts at all!" (Next to her, Yukino muttered the word 'absolutely' under her breath). "How could you possibly lead the school if you can't even put your foot down and set some rubies for the students!"

"Rules."

"Shut up, Yukino!"

"Haruka, being Student Council President is not about punishing the students," the current Kaichou interrupted.

Haruka rounded on him with a sceptical laugh and shoved a finger in his face. "Says you! The way you've been running the place we've been having multiple vandals break into the place and damage property and steal supplies, like the paintings of our founder – which, by the way, finally came back with moustaches and vulgar words written all over them! And do you even remember that peeping incident?"

"Haruka, this is normal high school behaviour. We could crack out whips and it wouldn't solve anything," came the bored response of one of the second-year juniors.

"No kidding," continued the council Secretary. "I say the way we've been running the place has been on the dull side. We should be putting together more competitions, or hold a dance, or have a club day – something."

"A _dance_? And have half the student body drop out because they've gotten pregnant?"

Whatever separate conversations had been going on came to an abrupt end as all eyes turned to Haruka. A second later and the room roared with laughter. Even Reito and Shizuru couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine! Whatever, think what you will. We'll see who the students want after the election. Me, or this tea-sipping slacker!" She gave Shizuru a threatening glare, which Shizuru had no trouble dismissing.

"That sounds like a fair idea." She brought her cup of tea to her lips, displaying complete lack of concern towards her rival.

"Of course it does! Let the students do all your work for you, that's just like you, Fujino-san!"

"Haruka, it was your idea," Yukino muttered.

"I know that!"

Another forty minutes passed before Kaichou agreed to end the meeting. He stood to thank the students and dismissed them, commencing a shuffling of chairs and grateful chitchat. A couple of students could be heard questioning the point of holding the meeting during the winter break only to receive an animated lecture from Haruka.

The lifeless halls seemed so foreign to Shizuru without the thunder of commotion. She could hear her own footsteps echoing along the walls. Without throngs of students suffocating her and watching her every move in awe, Shizuru found the place quite welcoming.

The sudden view of an unlit room caught her attention. Had a teacher forgotten to lock the door? More than likely a student had received permission to finish an assignment before reports were due in to the head office, and had forgotten to close the door behind him. As Shizuru approached, she saw a computer screen lighting the room and a figure sitting staring at it. Her heart stopped. The person in the computer lab was none other than Kuga Natsuki. Curiously, she considered entering the room and speaking to her only to change her mind. No, that was a route she needed to leave behind. She needed to move on and let Natsuki go. Pushing a friendship would lead her no where but into danger, just as Reito had warned. Shizuru continued down the hall, her footsteps growing heavy. She opened the doorway of the stairwell when she heard her name being called from behind her. It wasn't her family name, but her given. She turned to face Natsuki. Her face lit up.

"Kuga-san." She wanted to use the girl's given name as she'd requested at the start of the school year, but Shizuru couldn't bring herself to use such familiarity with Natsuki just yet. She couldn't push the girl.

Natsuki darted a glance behind her as she paced up to Shizuru. She met those deep green eyes and her heart soared.

"Look, I don't like formalities. Address me as Kuga or Natsuki, I don't care. Just no damn suffixes."

Shizuru was crushed, but she hid it by painting a fake pout on her face. "Natsuki has everyone she meets address her so intimately? And I thought I was someone special."

Red streaked across the girl's cheeks and she glared at Shizuru. She took another quick glance behind her. "Look, I need your help."

"Again? But I thought I was deemed useless." Shizuru gave a dramatic huff.

"Look, cut the crap. Can you help me or not?"

Seeing the irritation grow in the young girl's eyes, Shizuru complied. "I can try."

"Good, come with me."

Shizuru stifled a blush as Natsuki took her by the elbow and forcefully pulled her into the lab she'd just come from. Standing before the lit screen, she pointed a finger at an image on the head of an article. The page was a general information page of Fuuka Academy, but image was not a photograph taken in recent years. It was a sketch of the original building, dated 1706 in the caption underneath the image. She gazed in wonder at the image. Everything about it looked like any ordinary 18th century inventory sketch of a building – everything except the gigantic bird engulfed in flame hovering what appeared to be hundreds of feet above the east hill towering over the academy. Shizuru leaned in and squinted at the blurred signature in the bottom right-hand corner of the sketch.

"Any chance you can enlarge the image?"

Natsuki leaned in next to Shizuru – close enough that she could smell the scent of her shampoo on her dark blue hair. Without thinking she swooned. Despite the weight of this moment, she couldn't hold herself back from gazing at the girl's flawless complexion and focused green eyes. Glancing up at Shizuru, Natsuki caught her in her trans, blushed, and passed it off, edging away. Shizuru recovered, no sign of any wrong doing – inside she kicked herself.

"Here."

Shizuru looked back at the screen. The image had been copied into a Photoshop file and rescaled. Natsuki had sharpened the corner where the signature had been scribbled.

"What do you think it says?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki squinted. She studied the characters a moment and brought a finger to the first character. "This one is 'flame', I'm sure of it."

Shizuru followed her gaze. Indeed, the scribbled lines looked not quite unlike the character for the word 'flame'. She turned her attention to the second character. This one was more difficult to decipher. The person who wrote it had scribbled it with obvious lack of concern for due credit, but the condition of the original copy added to its illegibility.

"_Nagi!_"

Shizuru looked at Natsuki, then back at the character in question. "You're right!" The character was the one for the word 'calm'. It took some mental rearranging but there was no doubt once Natsuki announced it.

"_Honou Nagi*_," Natsuki muttered, biting the nail of her thumb thoughtfully. "No. That doesn't sound familiar at all."

"Should it?"

Natsuki paused and looked at her. "Well, I guess not." She smiled. "Thanks."

Shizuru wished she could freeze time. Her heart raced. How badly she wanted to hug that girl. Her smile, so small yet so sincere. Even her eyes lit up! To see this girl smile was a fantasy that had been keeping Shizuru up for so many nights, and there it was. And she wanted to see more of it.

"Anything to please you, Natsu-ki," Shizuru sang.

The moment ended the same instant it happened. The girls poured over the image once again, both leaning in an inch away from each other. Shizuru kept her eyes locked on the pencilled sketch of that giant bird soaring over Fuuka Academy. Only one reasonable explanation came to her.

"Do you think this Nagi person had some kind of fantasy about a school guardian?"

Natsuki didn't respond. Shizuru could feel her peer growing tense again. Whatever was going through Natsuki's mind, she didn't seem keen on sharing. Realizing this, Shizuru turned again to the sketch. There was no way this bird could have been a part of the scene Nagi drew. Perhaps he was just a strong art student with a keen imagination, and his drawing happened to find its way into the hands of this article's author.

That had to be it.

"Do you ever ..." Natsuki's voice trailed off.

"Do I what?" Shizuru pressed, but the girl shook her head.

"Never mind." With that she turned and crossed the dark room. At the door she faltered, as though considering another question, then stepped into the hallway.

Shizuru's heart was pounding in her chest. That feeling had resurfaced – that excitement she felt only at the thought or sight of Natsuki, and to see her walk away somehow tore Shizuru apart. The instinct to go after the girl brought Shizuru's foot forward, and she stopped herself. Resentment settled in. How could she feel so miserable to watch this girl leave, when Natsuki herself barely acknowledged Shizuru's very existence? Then, without a conscious thought, Shizuru was out the door following after Natsuki.

"Natsuki, wait!"

Natsuki had just begun to descend the stairs, the door of the stairwell falling shut, when the girl stopped at the call of her name. Shizuru caught up, opening the door to find Natsuki not only waiting but turned towards her with expectant eyes. She searched Shizuru's face for an explanation, waiting for her to speak.

"What?" The word was quick, but her voice was soft.

Was Shizuru mistaken? The girl almost appeared to be grateful to see her following after her.

"Er – " _Composure, Shizuru!_ She straightened her back and relaxed her face. "I was wondering if you needed a study partner over the break?"

Natsuki's response was slow to come and suspicious in tone. "Term's over. Nothing to study for."

Immediately Shizuru felt dumb. A clever response naturally came through: "I'm aware of that, but I'm taking World History II this coming semester. I didn't do so well in History I last year and since you'll be taking in this semester, I thought maybe – "

"Sure."

Shizuru's heart flipped. This should not only make studying for the damned class more interesting, but she was going to have some time alone with the girl who warmed her heart! Suddenly she could understand that gleeful reaction most girls her age had when a cute boy asked them out. Shizuru herself had to fight desperately not to squeal. She really had to work to reign in her composure if she was going to spend more time around Natsuki.

"But no funny stuff."

"What ever do you mean, my dear Natsuki?" _Perfect_.

"That. That's what I mean!" She groaned and turned.

The two descended the stairs. Shizuru tried some light talk to no avail. Natsuki had opened up as much as she would and Shizuru had to respect that. When they reached the main floor and approached the main entrance, the time to part ways had come.

"Tomorrow at three then?" Shizuru asked.

"Yeah. Text me," came the curt response. Natsuki seemed significantly less excited about the prospect of studying then Shizuru.

"Hold on. Shall I text Natsuki now to make sure she didn't give me the wrong number on purpose? I wouldn't want to be stood up on our first date."

"No! What do you mean 'date'?"

Shizuru laughed. "Did Natsuki misunderstand me? I didn't mean a romantic date, but if that's what she would prefer..." she let her voice trail off.

"What did I say, woman? 'No funny stuff'! Cut it out or you're on your own, got it?" With that Natsuki stormed off away from the school.

A smug smile on her lips, Shizuru took towards the building of the school director, Kazahana Mashiro. She had a number of questions to ask the young girl. One of them she'd love to be in regards to how an eight-year-old could possibly become the director of a highly regarded academy, but she knew there was most certainly something more to the school than the front of a prestigious institution of education. Such a question would surely be answered with time if it was Shizuru's place to know.

"Fujino-san, please understand that I have told you everything you need to know about your place here in this school."

Shizuru remained bowed before the director; her interrogation hung on the edge of invasive and she knew it. "Kazahana-sama. I feel I have a right to know. There is a reason I have been brought to this academy beyond my academic success."

Without pause, the director turned a question onto Shizuru. "If you don't mind me asking, have you experienced any odd occurrences since arriving in your junior year?"

Shizuru didn't look up at the director, but she really wondered what she meant by 'odd occurrences'. Yes, she'd certainly learned a few things about herself, that much was definite, but most of those things had no place in this conversation. There was one thing, however, and it was something she felt the director would not be surprised at all to see.

Shizuru straightened and closed her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, quieting her mind and imagining a solid object in her grasp. A breath of air swelled seemingly from no where and swirled around her. Her hair batted about her face as a long, red staff materialized in her hands, the blade like a scythe arching at the head of the weapon. At the butt end of the staff fluttered a beaded thread of red wire.

"She wields the naginata." The director's maid revelled at the scene before her.

"This is most impressive. Shizuru, when did you discover this ability?"

The weapon still in her hands, the wind dying down around her, Shizuru met the director's gaze. "It happened a year ago. I was in my second year of junior high and was running an errand for a friend in town. I got lost and night fell." Her expression grew dark as she recalled the distant memory. "I don't remember much. I've blocked most of it out. I didn't hurt anyone – calling on this weapon was more that enough to scare off those men."

Director Kazahana exchanged looks with her maid. "Fumi-san, have we had any other students come in on our scholarship this year?"

Shizuru glanced between the two. What was this about the scholarship?

The maid made a gesture to show she was thinking. "Yes. There is one other this year. I've found four more and am working on bringing them in. All together we have seven students registered through the Kazahana scholarship, and three faculty."

"Excellent."

"Please forgive my intrusion, but what are you talking about?" Shizuru demanded.

Director Kazahana let out a small sigh. Fumi-san made a move to stop her from speaking but the director put up a hand to hold the maid back.

"Fujino-san, I can really only tell you so much because as it stands, there is only so much Fumi-san and myself understand ourselves. But I assure you there is nothing to worry about right now. I can also confirm your suspicion that there is more to your scholarship than academic excellence – although your performance is highly acclaimed and invaluable to the academy's success as an educational institution."

Shizuru nodded and bowed. She was about to excuse herself when one last breath of courage graced her heart. "If I may ask one more question, Director."

"Go on, Fujino-san."

"What exactly am I?"

The director smiled. "You are a HiME. As you continue your studies here, you will awaken deeper powers similar to your ability to draw upon your materializing weapon. But Fujino-san," her voice became grave. "I will stress that it is vital you keep these powers a secret – even from your most precious loved ones."

Shizuru left the building with possibly more questions than those with which she'd arrived. So many secrets she had to keep. She made a personal vow – she would reign in her self-control. She would not lose her composure again. With one secret she risked destroying her position and losing the respect of every powerful person with whom she had connections – with this new secret, she knew not what she risked but given the gravity of the director's warning, she knew it was not something she wanted to find out. She was only sixteen, and yet she had so much to bear upon her shoulders. What cruel fate had picked her for this sick torment?

As the sun climbed down to the edge of the world and dusk fell upon the face of Fuuka Academy, Shizuru found herself sitting under a small break in the tree cover of the forest. The grounds of the academy were in plain view a fair distance below her at the foot of the eastern hill and above her shone a million twinkling lights. The cold grip of the winter night felt to her to be a far more welcome alternative to the desperately lonely confines of her bachelor apartment. Those times when she sought solitude for escape had left her. The silence in that small unit screamed. How could she go home? How, when she was so bitterly alone? A tear managed to find its way down her frozen cheek. She gave in. Heavy sobs fell from her chest and she broke into a full cry. Alone. She was completely alone. She stood before a world which hardly knew her and hardly cared to know anything more about her than her wealth and prestige. The only thing worse was that her only true friend could never fill the void of love. She could never be completely open herself to Reito, no matter how close they'd become. Shizuru sat in the island of her being, surrounded by a sea of strangers. And so she cried.

The snap of a twig broke the silence. Perhaps she was not alone after all. Dread filled her chest. If someone were to find her in this state, she would surely die of shame. That was all there was to it. Shizuru froze, her ears trained intently in the direction of the disturbance. Through what little light the moon and bright snow provided, she could see a small bush rustling behind the line of trees. She let out the breath she'd been holding. A squirrel, or maybe a cat, that was all it was. No student would be walking alone at this time of night – other than herself, naturally. She relaxed and started to stand when a dark, greenish, slimy figure shot out from the bush it had been hiding in. Shizuru let out a piercing scream and ducked for cover. A crashing noise and a heavy thud shook the ground and she looked up. A massive mechanical beast had lunged out from behind her and held the small creature in its powerful jaws.

Shizuru watched in terror at the scene before her. The beast – was it a wolf? – crushed the green creature and it looked as though it dematerialized right before her eyes. Then to her absolute horror the mechanical wolf turned its attention to Shizuru. It stalked towards her. Her heart thudded in her chest like it was trying to run away – and that was just what she thought to do. She was about to summon her naginata when the metal wolf's nose nudged her cheek. It started to sniff her hair and to her surprise, a metallic tongue came rolling from its mouth and licked her cheek. Shizuru stood, bewildered and frozen to the spot.

"Duran!" came a harsh whisper from behind her, and the gigantic machine padded gently past Shizuru and leaped into the trees.

Shaking, Shizuru followed its shape with her eyes into the darkness. She could have sworn she saw the figure of a thin woman leap onto its back, her long, straight dark hair streaming behind.

Instinctively Shizuru fled the clearing and practically ran home. Once safely in her apartment, she sat at her dinette, hardly blinking, with a pot of tea. Whatever had just happened, she knew it had something to do with the conversation she'd had with the director – and more importantly, with the scan of the sketch she'd looked at with Natsuki earlier.

Then it hit her. The woman who leaped onto the mechanical wolf's back and rode away – there was no doubt in Shizuru's mind as to who the woman was. She smiled. That feeling she'd gotten when she first met Natsuki – it made sense now. Whatever this HiME business was – whatever Shizuru was – Natsuki was as well. And what was more – the cold, bitter girl had potentially saved Shizuru's life.

She made up her mind to find some way of secretly thanking Natsuki.

* * *

><p><em>* 8500 yen is approximately equivalent to 85 American and Canadian dollars. It's by no means an exact equivalence but it's close enough. Also, I'll admit to knowing nothing whatsoever about brands other than Dior is a name I know comes with a fairly high price tag. I don't even know if they're a clothing brand or an eau de toilet manufacturer. So yes, that sentence is probably inaccurate. Shoot me.<em>

_A/N: I decided to make chapter three a little heavier. The plot needed to move and I couldn't stop myself from spilling Shizuru's secret. This chapter basically ended up becoming her coming out story and I figured being born into a very uptight, high status would make such a personal discovery very unsettling and terrifying. I myself had a hard time accepting my gigantic queerness when I was a wee 16-year-old, so I felt__ Shizuru's mental breakdown needed to reflect those insecurities about being gay. Reito's position as the shoulder to cry on helped bring that discovery out from Shizuru's mind into a dialogue. I feel he may have come across as too much of a trope or plot device, but had I narrated Shizuru's coming out by herself, it would just come off as painfully boring. I also wanted to show a strong bond between the two which you don't see in the show – they act merely as classmates and comrades, but to reinforce the idea that they both have to hide so much of their lives, I figured a hidden, deep kinship was reasonable. A few words crossed Shizuru's lips and yes, the big 'f-word' went through her mind. What a bad girl! She experienced a mental breakdown and by taking her slightly out of her typical character I hoped to convey how heavily she'd been affected. I try to make everything I write intentional, so nothing is done without a fairly significant reason. I do adore constructive criticism of my work. If anything pops up with a red flag, let me know. If you don't have anything in particular to say but read and enjoyed, just say hi! I cry at night when I don't get reviews._

_Not actually. But it does make me smile._


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: Mai-HiME belong to Sunrise and I'm broke as hell. _**

**_Just an FYI, I've changed something for this chapter: to reflect the original _Natsuki's Prelude_ better, I've changed Shizuru's role from a member of the Executive Committee (which I don't think is supposed to actually even exist yet) to Class Rep._**

**_Just in case you're confused or annoyed by the change. I'll get to the previous chapters later and change it. Maybe._**

**_And now ... Chapter 4!_**

An electronic _ding_ chimed over the whirring of the blow dryer. Shizuru ignored the text, eyes critically searching up and down her half-nude body. She stood before the mirror in her small bathroom, clad in nothing more than a red, laced bra and matching panties. Already at a C-cup, she wondered when she'd have to stop up-sizing her lingerie. The things didn't come cheap and the monthly funds she received from her parents were meant to cover food and board.

The phone, sitting on her kitchen table only five feet away, gave another persistent beep to remind her of the awaiting message. With one final, content glance in the mirror Shizuru set the blow dryer on the spotless bathroom counter and picked up her phone, reading the message as she moved to her wardrobe to pull out an outfit for the day.

_'I'm at the library, where are you?'_

Shizuru's lips curled to a satisfied smile. _Impressive_, she thought at Natsuki's use of proper grammar.

Wrapped in a red ribbed scarf and a belted, beige winter coat, Shizuru pushed her way through the unploughed paths of the academy. The grounds were vacant; most of the students had left to spend the holidays with family. A twinge of regret stung Shizuru's heart. Since living away from her family, she'd spent Christmas with her parents only twice. The senior Fujino's busy schedule kept him away from home even during these traditionally family-oriented days and Shizuru's mother kept herself equally as preoccupied with her social obligations. Even if the student returned to Kyoto for the holidays, she'd only get to spend her time with the family's hired staff.

"Shizuru."

She looked up. She'd made her way to the library and stood gazing about the elaborate space in search of her study partner. High ceilings arched above her featuring a grand chandelier hovering over a wide mahogany staircase snaking up to an open loft. There sat Natsuki on that second level, gazing uninterestedly down upon Shizuru. She couldn't help the smile creep up from her chest onto her lips; hurriedly, she ascended the exquisite staircase and approached the table at which Natsuki had settled herself.

"I'm glad to see you haven't changed your mind." Shizuru sat across from the younger girl, setting the brand-name messenger bag in which she'd carried her books onto the table. "To be honest, I didn't take you to be one so eager to study."

"Don't think too deeply about it. I just need to keep my grades above the passing line."

Shizuru gave her a knowing smile. She almost dared to mention the Kazahana scholarship she knew Natsuki had arrived on before she stopped herself. She wanted to maintain the illusion that she had no idea who or what Natsuki was. "If you say so."

Natsuki's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "So are we doing this or not?"

Shizuru pulled out from her bag her old World History text, followed by the notebook she'd used for the class. Natsuki slowly reached for the book and began flipping through pages of flawless penmanship and organized notes. Her eyebrows rose with scepticism. "You said you didn't do well in this course – what exactly does that mean?"

"I received an eighty-seven on my final report." Natsuki looked at her over the notebook, an eyebrow crooked. "I need acceptance to an advanced program in either Fuuka University, or Kyoto. This course brought my average down from ninety-seven to ninety-two."

"And you can't be Socrates with a ninety-two per cent average."

Natsuki's dry tone teemed with condescension, but Shizuru laughed nonetheless. "It's not that I'm trying to be perfect."

"Then what is it?"

Shizuru met Natsuki's grave eyes, her smile fading and she gave a reluctant shrug. "My father."

Natsuki nodded and turned back to the notebook. "Sounds like a real hard-ass."

Shizuru's gut tightened – normally she'd have defended her father's honour against the insult, but coming from Natsuki she couldn't take the comment to heart. After all, the girl didn't even know her father.

"My parents were unable to have any other children. I'm an only child, and a daughter at that. As such, my father has very strict expectations of me. It's true, he is hard on me, but he cares about my well-being as much as that of his name and business."

Natsuki met her gaze – was that concern Shizuru saw? Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant as she flicked her brooding eyes back to the page in front of her.

"Didn't really need your life story."

Shizuru was at a loss of words – her face burned with the insult. Natsuki's face had clearly just displayed genuine interest; hence Shizuru's open admonition, and all she received for it was a quick signal to shut up.

"So where did you slip up?" Natsuki asked, flipping pages. "Figure we should start studying wherever your grades slipped."

Pushing the bitterness inside, Shizuru slid her chair adjacent Natsuki's and joined her in flipping through her notes. Even Shizuru couldn't remember what had caused her to grades to fall. She recalled fumbling during a unit on the colonization of North America, so she took hold of the notebook and skimmed the pages containing struggles between the British and American colonies. Her notes looked fairly conclusive. Had she faltered simply because she didn't understand? She flipped another page and seeing something she'd scribbled on the sheet a year ago, she snapped the book closed, a hand covering her mouth and cheeks tinted with a light shade of pink.

"What?" Natsuki tried to pull the book away from under Shizuru's hand.

"What do you know about the Hudson Bay Company?" Shizuru asked, dragging the conversation away from the notebook itself.

"The what?"

"It was a Canadian trading company started in the 17th century when the British were settling the region then called Upper Canada. It's now owned by an American corporation, but they produced clothing and domestic goods for the pioneer culture."

"So?"

"Well, that's one of the things I messed up on."

Natsuki nodded. "I can see why. When would anyone ever need to know that?"

Shizuru stifled a laugh. Her gut was still rumbling with anxiety. How humiliating would it have been if Natsuki had seen the name of a female classmate so elaborately scribbled next to a cloud of hearts? Damn her raging hormones. She'd never sink to such ridiculous habits now; she'd grown a lot in maturity in the past year, that was for sure.

The two went over names of inventors, military leaders, advances in technology and the global struggles of the past four-hundred years for another two hours when Natsuki lifted her head from her elbow.

"Do you hear that?"

Shizuru stopped scribbling test questions, ears searching for any foreign noise in the area. Indeed she did hear something strange – and irresistibly soothing. Somewhere nearby someone had started playing a violin. The skill was that of an amateur music student – not that of a recorded professional musician.

"What do you suppose they're playing?"

"How should I know?" Natsuki snapped.

Shizuru rose, packing her bag. Natsuki watched with a condescending look in her eye.

"What, you're going to go sit and listen?" she mocked.

Shizuru looked down at her and gave a wink. "Would you rather stay here and study longer?"

Convinced, Natsuki followed behind as Shizuru led the way through a narrow hallway under the loft, decked as exquisitely as the rest of the library. The arching and bowing whine of the alluring instrument grew louder as Shizuru came to the end of the hall. Before her a room had opened up, walls covered by cherry panelling behind mahogany bookcases. In the centre of the study sat a girl on a wooden stool, back turned, as her arm traced a bow magnificently over the small instrument. Her hair was short and ash brown. She wore a junior student uniform. After several minutes the music stopped and the girl placed the violin on her lap, shoulders sinking to a slouch.

"Practising for the next assembly?"

The girl started at Shizuru's voice and she turned.

"Oh! I didn't realize I had an audience. How long have you been listening?"

"Not too long. We were studying in the loft and heard you playing, so we decided to see just who was producing such a gorgeous sound."

She blushed bashfully. Then she knit her eyebrows together in a quizzical expression and leaned to look behind Shizuru. "'We'?"

Shizuru cocked an eyebrow. She looked over her shoulder, then doubled back and peered down the hall. Where had Natsuki gone? She could have sworn the girl had been right behind her.

"I did have company," she murmured, puzzled.

"Well, wherever your friend has gone, I'm sure she has a good reason for leaving." The girl gave Shizuru a sincere smile.

"So what is your name?"

"Higurashi Akane, first year in junior high," she replied, standing and giving a humble bow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Higurashi-san." With a shallow nod in response, Shizuru introduced herself. "Do you play for the school orchestra?"

The girl blushed. "Well, I was just accepted this past week, before the holiday began. I've been practising here every day so I can impress –" she looked down, a small smile on her face. "Well, that is, so I won't let anyone down about accepting me."

Shizuru smiled. "I doubt you need to worry."

The girl beamed. "My friend Aoi says you're running for president!"

"Yes, I believe I will be."

"Well, if you're running against Suzushiro-sempai, I don't think you'll need any luck. But good luck anyway!"

Shizuru responded with a modest smile. "Suzushiro-san is a worthy adversary. I believe she would make a very successful president."

"And that's just the attitude everyone loves about you, Fujino-sempai. If it means anything, I will be voting for you."

"Thank you, Higurashi-san."

"If it's okay for me to ask – if you are elected president, may I ask a favour?"

Shizuru braced herself. She wasn't even the Student Council President yet and people were already lining up for favours. "Go on."

"Well, see, I've been wondering." Shyly, the girl pushed the ground with her foot. "Would you be able to hold more dances? For the juniors, too I mean."

Shizuru blinked. That was it? "Certainly, I could try, anyway. Any particular reason?"

Akane blushed. "Oh, it's so embarrassing!" Shizuru smiled knowingly. "There's just a boy I want to ask me to dance. I've never been to one before."

"Well, Higurashi-san, I can assure you one of my interests as president would be to hold more student activities – dances included."

"Oh, thank you Fujino-sempai!"

"But if you don't mind, I should be going."

"Of course – thank you! I'm sure your friend is waiting."

Shizuru gave a light smile. _Of course she would be._ "Keep playing, Higurashi-san, you're a marvellous musician."

She left the girl beet-red and retraced her steps through the hallway. She could hear the violin striking up once more as she passed a room emanating a soft light. She turned – the door was open just a crack. Instinctively she pushed the door open, revealing a small, horribly unorganized office. She looked at the name plaque on the front of the door – _Sakomizu Kaiji_. Wasn't that the name of the horticulture teacher? Shizuru didn't know he had his own private office. Expecting to see the large, fuzzy-haired man, she started when instead Natsuki swung the door wide open, walking with a _thud_ right into Shizuru.

Seeing the resentment in the girl's eyes, Shizuru put on the friendliest smile she could muster. "I was wondering where you'd gone to! I thought for sure Natsuki had found a better – partner – with whom to study." She noticed in her peripheral a small, tattered notebook clutched in Natsuki's right hand.

"I was just looking for Sakomizu-sensei," she responded darkly, ignoring the tease. She moved her right hand behind her back and side-stepped around Shizuru. She set off back toward the library at a brisk, determined pace.

Shizuru contemplated following after her, but having seen the burning expression in Natsuki's eyes, she felt perhaps she should give the girl some space. She thought of how Akane had referred to Shizuru's friend. Natsuki would have outright denied such an accusation, but somehow the word sounded to Shizuru like one she could use with Natsuki. No, they were not like a typical pair of friends, but neither Shizuru nor Natsuki were very typical people. Being surrounded by empty shadows of peers, Shizuru often wondered what the word 'friendship' even meant. The people around her who claimed to be her friends were people who hardly knew her, hardly showed interest in learning more about her, and if given the chance to do so, would turn tail and run like she were sick with a contagious plague. On the other side of the table was Natsuki, who Shizuru was sure had no one to even call a friend. Somehow the older girl took comfort in that thought. Unlike Shizuru, who lived behind a mask of lies, Natsuki simply refused to reveal anything about herself – be it a truth or a fabrication to please the masses. If Shizuru could just get Natsuki to regard her as a friend, she would know for sure that the girl would be a true one. They'd both come to understand a deeper meaning behind the word.

The sound of Natsuki's footfalls ceased. Shizuru looked up to see that the girl had stopped at the end of the dim hallway. Her heart fluttered.

"I overheard you say you were running for president."

Shizuru shook her head, clearing her mind. "You heard correct." She watched as Natsuki bowed her head, seemingly considering her next words. Her empty fist clenched and relaxed and she half-turned to face Shizuru. Her expression remained determined.

"Then I'll have a favour to ask of you."

"The intranet?" Shizuru guessed.

Natsuki nodded.

"I don't mean to pry, but I'm curious to know what sort of information you're looking for. Perhaps it's something I can answer – or at least find the answer to – without involving any means that could have us both expelled."

Natsuki's gaze fell to the floor. She turned her back once more and let out an inaudible sigh before fully turning and facing Shizuru.

"I need you to trust me that I'm not trying to do anything illegal."

Shizuru gazed in wonder. Had Natsuki just asked her to trust her? Butterflies pulled death-dives in her chest. She stared, dumbstruck and speechless for what felt like an eternity. She snapped back to reality and started to form a response.

"I'm sorry, Shizuru." Natsuki turned away again. "I know I'm putting you in a difficult position. But there is something bigger than this school – " she stopped herself, but Shizuru felt she knew exactly what the girl was avoiding saying. Natsuki turned back to face Shizuru with more confidence in her words. "There is something incredibly important to me that I need to learn more about, and I need the access you will have to the school's database. I understand your position is equally as important to you, but if you can help me," her head fell shamefully to the ground. "I – I'd be incredibly grateful."

Shizuru gazed helplessly at the girl, lips parted in awe. This was the most she'd ever heard the girl speak in one go, and the words she'd uttered begged for Shizuru's compliance and trust.

"I – " Natsuki's voice faltered as she shifted uncomfortably, deliberately avoiding eye contact. "I don't know you, I have no idea who you are, but somehow – " She hesitated. Shizuru took a few steady steps closer, her heart racing. "You seem different, that's all."

A heavy breath fell from Shizuru's chest. Her cheeks felt flushed, and she smiled.

"As do you, Na-tsu-ki."

The girl slowly lifted her head, still careful not to look Shizuru in the eye. A huge blush settled itself over the girl's cheeks and she spun away to hide it. "S-sorry, I'm not good at this kind of thing."

Shizuru gave a hearty giggle. "What, making friends?"

Natsuki snapped her head back with a quick glare and immediately hid her growing blush again. "I have more important things to concentrate on, that's all!"

"I was only teasing," Shizuru responded warmly, gently pacing right up beside the younger girl, and with courage suddenly striking her heart, she placed a soft hand on her shoulder. She felt Natsuki stiffen under her touch, but she didn't move. The girl's face turned further away from Shizuru's view, presumably hiding her deep red cheeks. "Natsuki, I'd be more than happy to assist whatever cause you call me for."

In turn, Natsuki gave no response nor made any move to escape Shizuru's touch. From that lack of response alone, the older girl knew she'd made her way under her peer's skin. The cold, lonely girl had let Shizuru into her life. Her heart swelled with joy.

"We should keep going."

"Where to?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki paused. "I – I don't know." Shizuru gave a light chuckle. "But there is something I need to do. If you don't mind, I think I need to go alone."

Shizuru nodded. Disappointment crushed the glee swirling in her gut, but she understood. "You know how to find me if you need anything." _Anything at all_, she finished with a thought.

Natsuki gave a nod and before she set off through the library, she turned to face Shizuru, flashing her a very small and brief but immensely grateful smile.

* * *

><p>The audience swelled before Shizuru like a raging sea full of ravenous sharks. Even from behind the heavy curtain the five-thousand-strong gathering terrified her.<p>

"You can still back down if you're too cowardly to deliver your speech."

Shizuru's heart jumped at the sound of Haruka' voice. She immediately replaced the look of apprehension she knew had been plastered on her face and painted on a confident, relaxed smile before turning to face her opponent.

"You needn't worry, dear Suzushiro-san. A campaign speech is no challenge at all."

"That's _Kaichou-sama_ to you, Fujino!" Haruka stuck a scolding finger in Shizuru's uninterested face. "Like I said, you may as well walk onto that stage now and announce your fore-closure. There is no point running against yours truly."

"I believe you mean 'forfeiture', Haruka." Yukino stood with a hand covering her forehead next to her friend. The young girl had grown fairly irritable with her own thinning nerves. Today would be the junior's first speech before such a large audience.

Shizuru slunk off to the side of the stage as the two bickered. She hid herself in the dim light, working on relaxing her breathing with her eyes closed. She'd give anything to settle her rattled nerves. The speeches she'd delivered to her classes throughout her schooling were as easy as cooking instant ramen, but for some reason a full-scale campaign speech always sent her spiralling into an internal fit of anxiety. She knew she'd be perfectly fine once she was on stage and speaking; it was always those nerve-wracking moments before that twisted her stomach into knots. The short speech she delivered which got her elected onto the Executive Committee had gone perfectly smoothly, but for some reason this year she felt a thousand times more anxious. She wondered if it had to do with a particular pair of eyes sitting amongst the throng and the repercussions that would occur if she wasn't elected president. If she couldn't prove to be of any use to Natsuki, she'd probably be dropped from the girl's life forever! The thought sent Shizuru deeper into a dizzying fit of restless nerves.

A teacup suddenly appeared before her eyes. She looked up and followed along the hand attached to it and locked petrified eyes with Senou Aoi, the junior running against Yukino. The girl gave a sympathetic smile and Shizuru took the cup, bowing to signify her thanks. Aoi turned and settled next to her, shoulders touching.

"I'm so nervous," Aoi sang.

Shizuru looked down at the shorter girl. "Don't be, you'll do fine."

Aoi met Shizuru's gaze, eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you! I'm rooting for you as well."

The girls glanced up in unison, sharing their uneasiness as the director finished her introduction speech and called on the first candidate – Aoi herself. Shizuru gave the junior's hand an affectionate squeeze.

"Here goes." She gulped and strode to the curtains, parting them and disappearing. A steady applause greeted her and she started to speak.

"G-good afternoon, students. I am Senou Aoi – " a single hoot rang from the crowd, throwing the girl off a bit. "I – er – I'm the class representative for Class A, first year Junior High. As grade representative in the Student Council next year, I will do my very best to ensure our grade's voices are not only heard, b-but – but delivered – I mean, results are delivered ... "

Shizuru's heart pounded. The girl's speech brought back memories of her own first campaign speech. Shizuru's confident, steady voice had not faltered despite her fried nerves, and she delivered her message with the grace and poise to be expected from a Fujino. From an early age her mother had drilled steady, elegant speech into her head, but it hadn't eradicated the anxiety she still felt before speaking to large crowds.

The sound of applause rang in her ear as the director thanked Aoi and the young girl reappeared behind the curtain. She skipped back over the Shizuru's side, tears on the verge of falling down her cheek and a giddy smile on her lips. Her shaking hands covered her mouth as a tear dropped.

"Oh, that was so exciting!" she exclaimed. Shizuru smiled as the girl wiped her tears. She herself remembered that intoxicating blend of terror and excitement.

Yukino stepped onto the stage next to deliver her own speech. Her tone was fairly monotonous, but her voice was steady as she almost reiterated Aoi's speech word-for-word. There was only so much sway a grade-rep had over the Student Council; the campaign was really more a battle of popularity and confidence. Yukino's speech came to an end, receiving an equally robotic round of applause and she too came stiffly walking through the curtain. As soon as she made her way back to Haruka's side, the blond began lecturing her on her delivery until Aoi strode up to her opponent and shook her hand. The girl offered Yukino a sincere congratulations and wished her good luck before returning next to Shizuru, leaving Haruka with a gaping mouth. Shizuru couldn't help herself from giving a laugh behind her hand at her rival's expense.

The hour ticked by sluggishly as the speeches rode up the ranks of Student Council hopefuls. The students from higher grades started receiving stronger, more animated support from the crowd. Finally the teacher leading the assembly announced the candidates for Vice President, and Takeda Masashi was called to the stage. With shoulders high and back straight, he strode onto the stage like a warrior riding into a battle he knew he was going to win. He spoke to the audience about upgrading sports equipment, funding new sports clubs, changing the detention system to reduce disciplinary action, and gave various other sports-oriented promises. His speech was rewarded with passionate cries of support from what Shizuru assumed was the Kendo club. The man returned to the back of the stage, head held high and a smug look on his face. As he passed his rival, Kanzaki Reito, he stuck out his tongue. Reito only shook his head in dismay as Takeda turned his back.

"Thank you, Takeda. I'm sure our sports teams are more than grateful to you," the teacher announced into the microphone, his tone hiding his sarcasm. "And now, I'd like to call on our second candidate for Vice President, Kanzaki Reito."

The room roared with cheers, mostly from the female members of the audience. The cheers grew in volume and energy when Reito parted the curtains and stepped assuredly onto the stage. The cheers didn't completely cease even as he began to discuss his plans to enhance funding of the school's non-sports-related clubs, called for fair and reasonable disciplinary action, promised focus on the arts and announced a proposed appeals system through which students could discuss unfair grades with teachers. He closed his speech, gave a deep bow to which he received immense applause, and reappeared from the front stage. As he passed Shizuru he gave her a knowing wink and a confident smile. They both knew that, given their similar platforms and highly collaborative roles, if one of them was voted in, they would both be brought into the leading positions of the Council. It was a fair guess that their presumed relationship only supported this fact.

Aoi made an adoring whine. Shizuru turned to find the girl looking up at her with eyes full of admiration.

"You two are so adorable," she swooned.

"And now!" Shizuru's eyes shot back to the closed curtains. Her gut clenched and the teacher continued. "I'd like to announce this year's presidential candidates, Suzushiro Haruka and Fujino Shizuru." A roar from the audience filled the room. So much fiery support had engulfed the candidates; given the heavy involvement the academy handed to the Student Council in managing the school's structure, as well as the adoring popularity the candidates had earned from their voters, the student body was basically unanimous in its support for the Student Council. As such, elections were always filled with a ferocious energy.

Shizuru's heart thundered. She glanced at her opponent to see Haruka's determined eyes boring through her, a fist clenched maliciously in front of her face.

"Will you please warmly welcome Suzushiro Fujino of Class A, first year High School and current head of the Student Council Executive Committee to the stage!"

Haruka marched onto the stage with a mission. A decent volume exploded from the crowd; she'd gained a considerable number of followers, students who were generally more concerned about the lack of disciplinary action in the current system.

"Attention students of Fuuka Academy!" Shizuru was surprised Haruka hadn't set up fireworks to go off like rockets. "Quiet down! As you all should know by now, I am Suzushiro Haruka, daughter of the founder and board director of Suzushiro Construction Corp.! And just like my father's company, I plan to rebuild a strong and unforgiving structure, housing disciplined young adults focused on academic purity and dedication. With Suzushiro Haruka as Kaichou, not one of you will have to worry about empty promises and unfinished business! I will see to it that vandalism and delinquency are put to stop!"

Shizuru tuned the woman's speech out. She'd heard as Haruka's booming voice reverberated through the walls of her apartment countless times as the Executive leader practised next to Shizuru's unit. Instead, Shizuru turned her thoughts to her own fate as Kaichou. Surely the news would put a spring in her mother's step and raise her father's head even higher. The responsibility would place a permanent stamp of approval on her CV. Not to mention she'd practically be paving her way to any prestigious university in the country, maybe even the world – but she couldn't help but dread that fate. It was not what she desired. Prestige itself had never been something Shizuru dreamed of. All she ever wanted for her life was simplicity and modesty – and somehow to live a modest life seemed like the greatest form of rebellion against her status she could undertake. To attend a school where no one knew her name; to share common concerns like how her bills would be paid at the end of the month; to build true, honest friendships with ordinary people and above all, to love freely – to choose any boy to date. Better yet, to be free to openly display her affection towards another woman.

Shizuru dreaded the responsibility of Kaichou – she'd be forced to preserve even more of herself, seal her entire being into a glass jar and bury it deep inside herself and yet the only reason she chose to take on this restricting role was to make happy a girl she'd never be with. Her face flushed. Why was she doing this to herself for Natsuki's sake? Why go through all of this torment just to see her smile?

"Thank you for such an ... inspiring message, Suzushiro-san," came the voice of the announcer.

Haruka's figure rematerialized behind the curtain an instant later. She didn't even look at Shizuru – on her face she wore a look that said it all – she knew she'd already won.

"And now I'd like to introduce our second presidential candidate and indeed our final candidate of the day; Fujino Shizuru!"

Her heart thudded in her chest. Fear washed over her; she almost felt as afraid as she had the night that strange creature had attacked her. The teacher continued to explain Shizuru's position as Class Representative of Class B Junior High Year Three. She trudged forward, her feet acting as though by their own will. They were heavy, like she were walking through drying concrete. Maybe Suzushiro had laid a trap. Her arms reached forward and she parted the curtains. The sea of sharks opened up before her once again. She wanted to turn and run. She wanted to escape. She couldn't do this. She couldn't go through with the responsibility. Then as she approached the podium, she caught a glimpse of hope. There in the third row, sitting with her legs drawn up, chin resting on her knees, was Natsuki. She looked desperately bored – as though she'd been asleep up until now. Locking eyes, Natsuki gave her an encouraging smirk and a nod of acknowledgement. No, Shizuru _could _do this.

"Welcome, Fuuka, to another new semester. I am Fujino Shizuru. I am not here before you to gloat about my wealth, my lineage, nor my father's work." Laughter shook through the room. She could feel Haruka steaming behind the curtain. "I stand before you today to ask for your assistance. I would first and foremost like to thank my fellow classmates for voting me as your Class Rep this year. The experience has prepared me to deliver the needs of this academy as both an educational institution and as a community. As many of you know I have been around the school to speak with many of you about your concerns and needs. I have taken your words to heart – if I am voted as your president for the coming school year, I will do everything in my power to give your voices presence.

"As our candidate for Vice President, Kanzaki Reito said – " a round of cheers and whistles filled the audience. Shizuru paused briefly to settle the commotion, stifling the blush fighting to spread along her cheeks. "As third-year Class B's candidate for Vice President said, I would like to implement a system of appeals in which students will be able to discuss with the director and their teachers their academic results and any disciplinary action against their behaviour – given fair reason. I believe this will allow us, the students, to become more directly involved in our academic success, and will open up a connection between student and teacher on an individual level.

"As such, I do not intend to increase disciplinary action. I feel punishment only reinforces negative habits. Instead, if given the opportunity to operate as your president, I will implement an enhanced system of rewarding positive behaviour – not only will classes be rewarded for strong academic success, but each individual student will have the opportunity to be praised for their own personal improvement."

The audience started to cheer, slowly and quietly at first, growing to an energetic round of applause. Shizuru hadn't quite expected such a positive response. She gave the crowd time to relax; teachers stood to quiet their students.

"In regards to student involvement in the community I will work with the Student Council to increase our budget and with venues in our neighbouring city to enhance our clubs' resources. I would like to see more performances for the school – as well as for the city of Fuuka - by our music and performing arts students, and I would like to fund public art shows for our fine arts students through which works may potentially be bought and sold. As well, I would like to enhance resources and competition for our sports teams and clubs. The students of Fuuka Academy encompass many great and varied talents, and I will do everything in my power to foster those skills and provide opportunities for us as students to grow in our abilities."

Another round of passionate, animated applause ensued. Shizuru beamed. She hadn't thought her speech would touch so many of the students so strongly. Waiting once again for the room to quiet, she continued:

"After speaking with many of the students about what new leisure activities you would like to see in the next year, I have decided that funding various extra-curricular activities will be another priority. We will have club days and other venues in which the student body may potentially make a profit from the community. I would like to hold dances, cherry-blossom parties, educational day-trips and, if the budget allows, an extended trip which will be open to all students to a location of the majority's choosing – Okinawa, Moscow, Hong Kong, or if possible, America or Europe – for educational study abroad.

"If I am graced by your favour and elected as Student Council President for the coming school year, I will listen to each and every voice, not as your superior, but as an equal. I will be your leverage between the student body and the school administration. I will carry out your concerns and needs and do everything in my power to have them brought to action."

Shizuru gave a deep, long bow, receiving a massive round of applause accompanied by whistles, hoots, and hollers. She stood and looking over to Natsuki's seat, she found a small smile on the girl's face. She swelled with pride and returned behind the curtain to yet another round of applause from every one of the candidates – every one except Haruka who stood glowering under the Mezzanine at the back of the stage.

A pair of hands slapped onto the desk in front of Shizuru, making her jump and rousing her from the nap she'd just fallen into. She looked up to see Chie Harada, and behind her Senou Aoi. A couple of months had sailed by since the election campaign began. After giving her first speech she'd gained considerably approval over Haruka. As winter melted away into spring and the school year neared its end, the results of the Student Council election had come in. Being on lunch duty in the detention room, Shizuru would have to wait to hear the news.

"Congratulations, Kaichou-sama," Chie gushed excitedly. She pulled up a hand holding her cell phone and snapped a picture of Shizuru's stunned expression.

**_Yes, there's snow and I'm pretty sure Fuuka Academy doesn't get snow in the snow (at least not in Mai-Hime, I think there's some other alternate storyline series where the academy is located in Hokkaido). Anyway. Snow is fun! And it's winter and there hasn't been much snow where I am this year which is weird because usually it's freezing cold with mountains of white. So I needed to get some snow in there._**

**_Chapter 5 is finally done, so expect it in a week or two once I feel this one's been properly digested. I wish I was an awesome writer like damnunique or illiteratekoi or the others I've been reading lately. Man, they have like, a bijilion reviews. Lame xD Anyway, we meet Shizuru's parents in Chapter 5 so stay tuned._**

_**Just a warning: there will be a minor rape reference in Chapter 5. The rating *may* change or I'll just stick an M in the title of the chapter?**_

_**Cheers,  
><strong>__**Zie**_


	5. Chapter 5

The countryside whizzed by like a painting of Claude Monet's backyard as the _shinkansen_ shot along the _Toukaidou_ line from Tokyo to Osaka. Shizuru passed the two-hour journey over a few chapters of a Patricia Highsmith American mystery novel. Picking a seat next to a peaceful old woman had been a lucky choice as she gently snored away, occasionally falling into a disturbing coughing fit. Shizuru glanced behind her with exasperation; a young high school boy who had boarded the train before Shizuru had chosen what he thought would be a favourable spot – he now sat rubbing his temples next to a young mother cooing at a miserable child.

Summer vacation had begun. The sun beat warmly on the Student Council President-to-be over the final months of the school year. Scoring between ninety-eight and one-hundred-one percent on her exams would make her final report a very welcome gift for her parents – along with a large fruit basket she'd order upon her arrival, of course.

The previous Kaichou had thrown a spectacular party the night of the school's final exams for the new Student Council, inviting about half of the high school population to his family homestead just beyond the outskirts of Fuuka Academy. Doi-sempai had been a reasonably dedicated president, but he wasn't a man to resist an excuse for a good party and a moderate amount of underage drinking. As he was moving on to Fuuka University in the coming school year, he decided to bring his final year of high school to an end – with a bang. Shizuru guessed he hadn't intended it literally.

Tate Yuuichi, along with a couple other delinquent boys, had decided to treat the party to an impromptu display of fireworks, but upon the discovery of the explosives by Haruka in a nondescript bag, the illegal products had made their way into the glowing campfire – presumably to be destroyed. Seeing Haruka's rash miscalculation, Yukino squealed and managed to get everyone far enough away from the immediate vicinity before travesty could befall the students' limbs.

Shizuru had asked Natsuki to join her to the party and received a very blatant decline. Whether the girl had more pressing matters to attend to, or the idea of a large, intoxicated gathering of her fellow students just didn't seem appealing, Shizuru didn't know – but she dropped the subject and resigned herself to going without a date. Her appearance only seemed befitting as the vast majority of the guests had chosen her to represent them as their next president.

Returning from her thoughts, Shizuru felt the tug of momentum as the train pulled to a steady, timely stop at the northern Osaka station. She gathered her high-fashion, brand name luggage from the baggage compartment above her seat and fighting the crowded station she made her way to the platform where she'd transfer to her train into Kyoto. Upon her arrival, she'd have to board another downtown subway line, ride out to the satellite city where she'd spent her early childhood years, purchase the final touch to her gift and call for a ride.

It was true that she could have called one of her father's drivers from Osaka – even Fuuka – but the trip had carried a warm wave of nostalgia with the wind of the train as it left her behind at the station. The streets started bringing back old memories the closer she got to home – the hustle and bustle of shoppers, business people, lawyers, teenagers in the downtown streets, the slightly more formal and polite mannerisms of the people, and most reassuringly, the dialect. In Fuuka Shizuru's soft speech and odd words caught the direct attention of anyone who heard her. She was known immediately as the Kyoto-girl as soon as she arrived for the first time at her new school at the naive age of eight. Approaching junior high, she'd resentfully earned the nickname '_Kyoto_'. It wasn't until her father received immense media coverage for his magnificent success and service to the Fuuka region's economy that Shizuru started to earn some favour from her fellow students,. By the time her parents left and she enrolled into Fuuka Academy, her name had become as interchangeable with the notion of wealth and status as the brand 'Kleenex' to refer to any tissue.

Here in Kyoto, while her name came with respect and admiration towards her father's corporation, she herself was just a shadow amongst the commoners. In her own neighbourhood her family stood out like a new light bulb on a bright, sunny day. Sure, the Fujino family had wealth and status, but so had everyone else around them. And in the city, the privacy of Shizuru's family was well-maintained except among others of equal standing. Shizuru could pass through the streets just like any other spoiled, rich girl on a shopping excursion.

Yes, it was good to be home.

A limousine pulled up along the flagstone curb of the boulevard. Shizuru had been waiting between a small, posh fashion boutique and the edible-gift shop at which she'd bought a display of fruits cut and arranged like a colourful bouquet and smothered in exquisite Swiss chocolate fondue. The piece had drained 8700 yen of her spending money, but she couldn't just go home empty handed with only a piece of paper to hand her parents. It would be rude. Not to mention the endless scorn she'd receive from her mother in front of whatever snooty guests she happened to have invited over.

A driver clad in a black tux with a white dress shirt and white gloves stepped from the limousine, rounded the car and held open the passenger door for Shizuru. She gingerly handed him the fruit bouquet she'd bought for her parents, informing him that it would need to be kept cold at home. He nodded, set the arrangement on the front seat beside his, and continued to delicately assist Shizuru into the car. It was this awkward pampering she'd long since forgotten. How many years had passed since her last trip to Kyoto? Three, she reasoned. She couldn't decide if it was too long, or not long enough.

The limousine rolled away down the street, turning through the main shopping district and flying along the main veins of the city. Along the outskirts, pulling into a gated golf and country club, the limousine turned and the driver flashed a card at the security. The iron doors opened and the limo continued its steady cruise along the carefully manicured roadway. Massive estates opened up before Shizuru, each swallowed by giant, ancient oaks, cherry trees and pines. Gazing absently ahead, she started. She squinted as she saw a group of three teenagers, no older than herself, sauntering down the street in the same direction Shizuru and her driver were headed. As the vehicle pulled up behind them, unable to pass, the driver gave a gentle _toot-toot_ of the horn. The teens turned – two boys and a younger girl.

Shizuru watched as the car moved slowly passed them. They didn't belong in this neighbourhood. Had they gotten lost? They were each dressed in a style and fit no one in this part of town would be caught dead wearing. Beyond that, they manoeuvred themselves with the same behaviour Shizuru had become accustomed to seeing in her own school in Fuuka – a mannerism that revealed no interest in displaying any kind of status. They slouched, swayed, laughed freely. They looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves.

"A family of new blood moved in a couple of months ago. Lotto winners from Osaka."

Shizuru looked up to see her driver gazing back from the rear-view mirror. She turned her eyes back out the window. "I'm sure Mother had a fit."

"Like you wouldn't believe." The driver smiled.

The familiar stretch of elaborate paving appeared before her eyes. Her heart was racing; she was almost nervous to come back to this lifestyle. Had she forgotten any of the etiquette her mother had spent years instilling in her? Would she seamlessly fit back into her old life? The knot in her stomach made her think she wouldn't.

The driver stepped from the vehicle and bowed as he opened the door for Shizuru. She was greeted with another deep bow by the family butler who had come to guide her into the house. Not a single detail had been left out – her family's lives were orchestrated with the elegance and grace of a 19th century composer. The driver handed the gift and Shizuru's small bags to the butler as he led the girl up ten marble steps and through massive arched white-oak double doors. She could hear Debussy playing softly from the speakers in the walls when she entered her parents' home.

A shy maid dressed in a soft blue British frock scooted up to Shizuru, pink silk slippers in hand and took Shizuru's Gucci heels from her after she gracefully unbuckled the white Italian leather straps. She breathed a deep sigh of relief to finally take the contraptions off her throbbing feet.

"Thank you." Handing the maid her shoes she briefly took the woman's hands, giving them a deeply grateful squeeze. The woman was no more than five years Shizuru's senior. A tinge of guilt flashed through her heart. The maid bowed, keeping her eyes glued to the floor and her expression as neutral as possible before scurrying back to her station by the door. _How miserable my family must be making your life_, Shizuru thought gravely as she continued through the great hall. The main entrance featured a thirty-foot vaulted ceiling painted a shimmering light beige and accented with relief statues of angels, classical figures and animals. The cold, warm-grey tiles beneath Shizuru's feet reflected the elegant colonial walls around her. Traditional Japanese and Chinese silk scrolls covered the walls and at the end of the hall in the corner next to the open doorway lading to the family kitchen sat a massive marble statue of the famous Greek _Discus Thrower_ – obviously a copy but grand nonetheless. Her parents spared not a penny on revealing their wealth to the world.

From where Shizuru stood she could see into the front living area – a radiant Persian rug, about ten feet by twelve, covered the vast majority of the mahogany floor. Through the dim light Shizuru could see the enormous grand piano still sitting in the far corner. She wondered how well her fingers could remember Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Debussy. She'd have to investigate later though; right now she felt a pressing need to lay her head on her old pillow after her exhausting haul up and down mountain ranges from the academy to her parents' home. Altogether the trip had taken about six hours from the moment she closed and locked her door and entered this one.

Just before she started to move she noticed something was missing from her welcoming committee. She turned to the butler.

"Kita-san, where are my parents?"

The butler holding Shizuru's bags gave a formal bow. "Fujino-sama had to attend an unexpected board meeting in Osaka and will return tomorrow. The lady is in town teaching a flower-arranging lesson and should be back within the hour."

Of course. Shizuru had come all this way during the only time she'd had free of any kind of duties, and her parents were no where to be seen. She tried desperately to kill the burning regret in her chest. Her parents were wonderful and loving – if mildly neglectful. For the first six years of Shizuru's life she called her nanny 'mamma'.

She gave the man a respectful bow. "If you don't mind, I'd like to retire to my bedroom."

"Certainly, Fujino-san. Please allow me to take your bags."

"Oh, no, that's quite all right, Kita-san, but thank you. Can you just take my gift and keep it in the cold room?"

Kita-san returned a bow. "Certainly."

Shizuru didn't know how much longer she could take the stuffy act. Sooner or later she'd crack and demand the staff loosen up. Perhaps slipping sake into the water jug in the kitchen would create a very entertaining afternoon.

Stalking up the oak staircase to the second floor, Prada and Chanel bags in tow, memories started to flood back into her mind as she drew closer to her old bedroom. As a child, she'd taken for granted that everyone existed in a world of diamonds and crystal chandeliers. It wasn't until a month after her seventh birthday when she watched a distraught teen abuse a sickly puppy that she learned life wasn't always happiness and sunshine. At the age of nine, she learned the meaning of the word 'rape'.

She'd gotten separated on a trip into town with the nanny. Crying softly as the station emptied out of pedestrians, she sat in a nook along the wall, hidden from the view of anyone simply passing by. Determined to find her own way home she'd ended up at a platform in a horribly criminal part of town, and twilight had fallen outside the station. The child had never seen a subway station so vacant before. Only two grown-ups stood waiting for the next train, completely unaware of the girl's presence. Shizuru watched in horror as the man, a lean but built foreigner started to violently undress a scantily clad Japanese woman. Her screams terrified Shizuru. Why was no one coming to help her? Shizuru covered her ears and continued to watch, horror-stricken, as the man proceeded to repeatedly push his body onto the woman. The girl had no comprehension of what was happening at the time, but even her naive mind knew it was wrong. Very wrong. When the man had finished what he was doing, he rearranged his clothing and ran up the stairs of the station, leaving the woman squirming and crying, her clothes ripped and hanging off her personal parts. Shizuru had crept from her hiding place and snuggled up to the woman for the night. In the morning, the station had returned to its buzzing ways and a group of three officers wrenched Shizuru from the woman's arms. She cried as two of the officers cuffed the wailing woman and dragged her violently from the station.

To this day Shizuru had no idea what had happened to the woman – despite the counsellors, officers and News reporters lined up to pull the story from her mind, Shizuru had never spoken of the event. But as she grew older and the memory flashed through her mind, Shizuru pieced the events together. A passerby had probably come down into the station in the wee hours of the morning on his way to work, finding the disturbing scene of a half-naked woman lying asleep on the floor with a child in her arms. He probably called the police, who came to the scene after hearing a report of a missing child. They probably assumed the drug-addicted prostitute had kidnapped Shizuru and considering the circumstance they'd found, assumed she'd molested the child or had her molested.

The world was a cold, cruel place after all. A drug-induced female sex worker involved in a crime, even if she were the innocent victim of rape, had so little chance of receiving justice in any part of this horrible world.

Shizuru snapped from her troubling memories. She stood before her old room, eyes searching the space. The bedroom in which her child self had laid her head at night was three times the size of her apartment at Fuuka. A massive expanse of mattress hidden under a thick, richly coloured Egyptian silk duvet and uncomfortable decorative pillows took up only a small portion of the room. At the foot of the bed was a cream leather ottoman. Before the far wall was a solid oak writing desk and against the wall adjacent to it was a large glass vanity desk. Next to that was the door to her own bathroom where yet another huge vanity space beside the sink allowed for the easy application of cosmetics.

Sitting on top of the plush, dusty pink carpet was the face of a genuine white tiger rug staring with glass eyes right back at Shizuru. She cringed; she wanted to be sick. _When the hell had that been thrown there?_

"Isn't he just ferocious!" A well-manicured hand fell on Shizuru's shoulder as she gaped down at the skinned animal.

"Oh don't worry your little head off, darling." Fujino Umeko stepped in front of her daughter, blocking Shizuru's view of the tiger. "He lived in the Kyoto zoo and when he died your father bought the rug they'd made in an auction. He thought you'd like it!"

Shizuru stared, still feeling a little disturbed. How much had she really changed since living in Fuuka?

"Well, we can always move it into my studio. Shizuru, won't you give your mother a hug?" She pulled the bemused girl into her arms and squeezed tightly, releasing her with a force and holding her by the shoulders at arm's length. She looked Shizuru up and down. "Oh, how you've grown. Look at you! Oh, you look just like I did when I was your age. And those eyes – those gorgeous eyes! Your grandmother would be so proud."

Umeko herself looked at the world through grey-blue orbs. Shizuru had inherited her red-flecked eyes from her grandmother on her father's side. Aside from that, her mother was almost a spitting image of Shizuru: long, golden-brown hair falling into a slightly deeper wave than her daughter's; voluminous hips swelling with an alluring sense of sexuality rising to a narrow waist and accumulating to large breasts that balanced her hips sensually. Even the woman's eyes showed little sign of ageing. Despite the effort her mother put into maintaining her youthful appeal, Shizuru knew she'd have many glorious years of youth to look forward to.

"So – tell me everything, my precious sweet pea!" Umeko guided her daughter by the elbow to the ottoman at the foot of her bed and sat them both down. "Just how many doctors and lawyers-to-be have you kissed at that prestigious school?"

"Mom!" Shizuru's face ran beet-red.

"Well tell me!"

Shizuru glanced away, embarrassed. Must she really have this conversation with her mother? "None, mom."

"Oh, Shizuru, you're such a funny girl! Oh if I'd known I'd raised such a joker!"

"Mom, I mean it. I've been too busy for that sort of thing."

Umeko looked her daughter in the eye like she'd just been slapped with a kipper. "Are you serious, Shizuru?" A sly smile grew on the woman's face. She turned, gushing with pleasure. "My daughter. Never – been – kissed! Well!" She slapped Shizuru's knee softly, looking her playfully in the eye. "While you're here in Kyoto with me and Aunt Kaede for a week, we will just have to change that, won't we!"

The colour drained from Shizuru's face as her mother stood and started for the door. She announced as she walked away that tea had been served and was growing cold. She also informed Shizuru of a certain guest she'd invited for tea. Turning back to face her daughter, she scanned Shizuru's outfit.

"You might want to change your clothes, too dear. I don't know what sort of fashion the girls in that backwater town wear, but you're in Kyoto now."

Shizuru's face burned. Since when had her home town become Tokyo?

Shizuru descended the main stairs garbed in a tight white blazer and form-fitting grey dress pants – designer clothes she'd found in the walk-in closet presumably left behind by her mother. Shizuru suspected her mother was up to something when she'd called weeks before asking her daughter's measurements.

A fresh breeze greeted her as she stepped onto the side porch, but the view of the estate sprawling in all directions was a stark contrast to the horror sitting at the dinette next to her mother. Shizuru gulped down a frustrated cry and put on the most hospitable expression she could muster.

"Maruka-san! How wonderfully unexpected it is to see you!" Shizuru gave a deep bow to her mother's guest, an elderly neighbour and wife of a politician.

"Charmed," was the woman's unenthusiastic response.

Shizuru took her seat and poured herself a cup of tea. As she did so she could feel the heat of the old woman's glare. Shizuru slowly raised her eyes to meet Maruka-san's and stood to pour the woman a cup as well.

This was going to be a long week, indeed.

That afternoon Umeko came flying into Shizuru's bedroom with a grin on her face.

"Shizuru baby! I have a surprise for you!"

Shizuru looked up at the door and paused the Regina Spektor song she'd been listening to on her laptop. She waited expectantly, blinking, as her mother stepped aside and a girl Shizuru's age appeared behind her. Shizuru grinned and jumped to her feet.

"Sachiko! Is that you?" Shizuru ran into the girl's arms in a huge hug, but the other girl didn't seem to respond as eagerly.

Umeko chimed in, "I'm afraid the past years in that farm town have made our Shizuru a little less poised." She gave a giggle and Shizuru blushed, backing away.

Apparently high class behaviour didn't include hugging childhood friends.

The two friends took off together for a day uptown. Shizuru began to realize she'd missed several very integral years in her old friend's development. The girl she remembered was gone; either that or Shizuru's time away from home had skewed her memories completely.

"When did you start smoking?"

"About the same time I started sleeping with boys," Sachiko grinned mischievously. Shizuru gave a slow nod, receiving a condescending reaction from her friend. "Oh come on, you've done it too, haven't you?"

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "Between you and my mother, I'm not sure how much of this I can take. I thought people of status valued the whole chastity thing?"

Sachiko lit up in laughter. "In good company, yes. No one actually obeys it. Shizuru, you're sixteen! Live a little, before it's too late! Did you know a woman's sex drive decreases drastically once she reaches her mid-twenties?"

"No, I wasn't aware," Shizuru grumbled.

"I have an idea. There's a party at my friend's tonight. You're coming, and I have the perfect person I want to introduce you to."

That night after dinner Sachiko picked Shizuru up in a Mazda Miata. She sped along the freeway until they came to an off ramp. The road carved along a steep cliff edge miles outside of Kyoto. Apparently Sachiko's friend's house was located on an ocean-front estate. The sun had already set. Shizuru realized she was going to be staying the night in a house full of drunk people she'd never met.

Sachiko drove like a maniac around the tight curves. Shizuru had to hold onto the edge of her seat, her heart pounding. Suddenly Sachiko broke out in laughter and looked at Shizuru.

"Don't be so tense, Zuru."

Just then, as the car wound around another bend in the road, a figure appeared in the centre of the lane in front of them. Shizuru let out a piercing scream, followed by Sachiko who slammed her foot on the brake. The car spun, tires screeching against the pavement, as the vehicle went flying through the guard rail into the ocean twenty feet below.

The last thing Shizuru remembered seeing as a massive animal, some kind of giant octopus with snakes for tentacles. The next thing she knew, she was waking up to the sound of steady beeping. Her eyes wouldn't open, but she heard someone's voice in the room.

"Shizuru?" A pause. "She's awake. She's awake! Kenji, get the nurse! Nurse!"

The voice belonged to her mother. She could hear hurried shuffling of feet. She struggled to open her eyes but all she could see was blurred light. She could feel her eyes watering.

"No, sweetie, keep them closed. The nurse will help you. Oh, you look terrible!"

She must have passed out again. She woke again several hours later and this time she could open her eyes with ease. She was alone. Her bed was next to a window and she could see the night sky dotted with stars. The moon was full and right next to it she swore she could see a shining red star. She winced. The mark on her ribcage burned. She sat up, painfully, clutching the strange birthmark.

"You see it too?"

The voice belonged to a boy. Shizuru shot her head around and winced at the pain the action caused. In the bed next to her a wiry boy with strange, white-blue hair sat with his eyes glued to a book. He turned his gaze to meet Shizuru's worried expression.

"Don't worry, Shizuru-chan. I'm not here to hurt you."

"Who are you?"

"Call me Nagi. Homura Nagi."

_Homura... Nagi?_

"That's right, Shizuru-chan."

Her head was spinning. She brought a hand to her forehead and laid back down on the bed. "What happened to me?"

"You met an orphan. More specifically, you met your CHILD."

"My – what?"

"You're a HiME, Shizuru-chan. Last night, you saw something called an orphan. You almost died, too. Lucky for you, your CHILD has been looking out for you all these years. Kiyohime."

"Kiyo ... hime? Like the story?"

"I guess the name is a bit of a coincidence."

"I'm sorry, am I dreaming?"

"Not yet, Shizuru-chan."

With that, the boy rolled over and fell from the bed. Shizuru lunged painfully over but the boy was gone – vanished in thin air.

Shizuru remained in hospital for the next couple of days. Her mother had informed her Sachiko was in a coma after the accident. Being the only one able to answer, a number of people tried to question her about what happened and if alcohol or drugs had been involved. One of those poeple happened to be her father.

"You have no idea how this is affecting the company image!" Fujino Kenji bellowed, receiving angry hushes from nurses. He ignored them. "Investors are asking if my daughter is a drunk! If she associates with boys, if she's losing interest in her education. Shizuru, you are my only heir. How will you succeed if you go to these pointless parties all the time? How will you succeed if you're killed!"

"Dad, I wasn't drinking. I wasn't going to drink. Sachiko told me she was taking me to visit a friend, not taking me to a party." She was lying, but she didn't remember many of the details to begin with.

"Sachiko was heard muttering about some giant octopus the first night you were brought into hospital! She must have been on drugs! Shizuru!" Her father leaned in close, eyes pleading, filled with both rage and concern. "Were you on drugs?"

"No!"

Umeko stepped up to Shizuru's bed, softly squeezing her husband's arm. "Kenji, darling, I know this isn't something fathers wish to discuss about their daughters, but our Shizuru has never even kissed a boy."

"Pah!" Kenji yelled, standing straight and walking out of the room. "So she says!"

Umeko winked down at Shizuru. "Your father was very happy to learn about your ninety-nine per cent average this year, darling."

When Shizuru was released from hospital she insisted on returning to Fuuka. She explained that she had some urgent business to attend to with the director regarding her scholarship that couldn't be discussed over the phone. Reluctantly, her parents allowed her to return. The driver who had picked her up when she arrived in Kyoto drove her all the way to Fuuka Academy.

Stepping from the car into the cool, fresh country air, Shizuru felt as though she could breathe.

While the accident had left Sachiko in a coma, Shizuru herself had suffered nothing more than some scrapes, whiplash and a bruised cheekbone. Whether or not she had dreamed of that boy named Nagi and of the gigantic octopus she and Sachiko had both apparently seen, she still needed to talk to the director about how she survived the crash.

As she walked through the elegant hallway of the director's building she paused as another girl approached her. It was Natsuki. Shizuru's heart beat faster. Since the spring Natsuki had begun to blossom quite noticeably. She was no longer a thin, fragile girl. All of her outdoor exploits had had very positive effects on her body; as well, the girl was starting to fill out. Something stirred in Shizuru's chest she knew she'd have a hard time ignoring.

"Shizuru," Natsuki called, concerned.

"Natsuki, it's good to see you. How has your summer been?"

The younger girl ignored the question and walked right up to Shizuru. "What happened, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Shizuru smiled. The girl's sincere concern warmed Shizuru's heart. "I got in a small car accident when I was at home. It's nothing to worry about."

"Oh." Natsuki frowned down at the ground. "Well, I'm glad you're okay."

Shizuru nodded with a smile. She was about to excuse herself when Natsuki spoke again.

"If you need anything, help with bandages or something, let me know."

Shizuru struggled to suppress a grin as Natsuki clearly struggled to suppress a blush. "I'll be sure to call on my Natsuki if I need a nurse."

Shizuru left her younger friend blushing profusely and ascended the wide stairs to the director's conference room. She opened the large door and found Kazahana-san and Fumi-san sitting at the small table, sipping tea.

"Fujino-san, please have a seat," came the child-like voice of the director.

_**A/N**_

**So this is almost a year overdue. That's partly because the many flaws and inconsistencies and inaccuracies annoyed me. It's also partly due to life's demands, you know, school and work and such. But on top of that, although I'd finally finished the chapter at one point it seems that copy was on a hard drive that fried. So I had to rewrite the whole chapter almost from the beginning. It's about three pages shorter and I find it much less interesting than I remember it being. Anyway I wanted to take the story away from the main setting for a bit as well as introduce the infamous yet always-AU Fujino parents. I find it interesting that any story with Shizuru as a main character features her parents but we know nothing about them from the show so every version of her parents is completely different.**

**I'm sorry if this chapter disappoints. It's been a very long time since I've written anything, let alone Shizuru. **


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